A Marriage of Convenience
by Tabbygal
Summary: Rebellion threatens, and Arendelle has no trade partners or alliances left once Elsa was revealed as the Snow Queen. How far will she go to save her kingdom? Marriage is the only sure way to create an alliance with the Southern Isles, but there's only one unmarried son left... Post-movie, canon to movie and the book 'A Frozen Heart'. Helsa and some Kristanna
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: Alright guys, settle in for the long haul if you want to stick with this story. I'm gonna say that I've actually already got about half of it done, so I should stay consistent with my updates, but you should know that there's a lot to this story. It's not super plot heavy, but there's still a lot that I want to fit into it. I've already hit almost 29,000 words and I have so much more that I want to happen... Anyway, this is going to be a mature story. There will probably be some language, and plenty of angst to go around. It's not a kids story, but I feel like most of the stories involving these two are not kids stories.

Moving on, the more you review, the more muse I'll have! Please enjoy~

* * *

Elsa stood at the prow of the great ship, watching a huge black snake come into view. In reality, she knew that it was no serpent. The castle that belonged to the Southern Isles was long and winding, made of a black obsidian rock. The appearance was intimidating, to say the least. But it was also her last hope. Arendelle's last hope.

After her coronation, being revealed as a powerful sorceress had not bode well for Arendelle. Her people became distrustful and she'd heard rumblings of a rebellion. Her allies pulled away, leaving Arendelle weak and running low on funds. Not to mention, without allies, they were only a blink away from war. Anyone could easily come in and take the kingdom as their own. Arendelle was small, but a crucial spot for trade and wealthy gem in the right hands. Which apparently, weren't hers.

Elsa was left with only one option to save her kingdom. She had to marry someone of power from another country to create a tie. That bond would give her a sure ally, and reassure her people to know that she alone did not make all the decisions. People might begin trading once more, believing that there was someone else at her side in Arendelle. Unfortunately, most other kingdoms preferred to simply wait her out until Arendelle was at it's weakest point, then swoop in and take it all for themselves.

The only positive response she'd received was from the King of the Southern Isles. It sickened her to even think of, being as it was the family of Hans. But surely he had only been the bad apple of the family. His father had send profuse apologies for the actions of his son, assuring her that Hans would be well-punished and they had known nothing of his scheme. In any case, it didn't matter if she did have to marry another like Hans. If it was the only way to keep Arendelle from war, she would do it. Besides, it wasn't like she would have to marry Hans himself. That could be too far, even for Arendelle.

Once the ship docked, it wasn't long before she received a royal escort. Given temporary chambers to freshen up, she was granted audience with the king during dinner. Under other circumstances, she would have chafed at such rudeness, but she simply held her head high and accepted the opportunity that she had as she entered the room.

King Westergaard didn't look much like Hans. Of course she could see the family resemblance, but it was obvious that Hans took after his mother, a meek and quiet woman at the king's side. Well, he took after her in looks, at least. His other twelve brothers were there, a good amount of them with wives at their sides. They sported a variety of different looks. Most of them held the elegant charm and stately looks Hans had, but a few were less than appealing.

Entering at the far end of the room, before a great table laden with food, Elsa gave a polite curtsey. They were already eating and no place was offered to her. "Your Majesty." She said, voice clear and strong, not giving away the shudder she felt inside. After a life of solitude in her room, the idea of speaking to a stranger still terrified her, even a year and a half later. The King lounged in his raised chair, casually eating and smacking his lips on his food. He waved her on with his hand, as though he could hardly spare the time.

Elsa bit back a tart comment, knowing that she needed to make an excellent impression. Briefly, her eyes roamed over the twelve men, wondering which might be her fate. Would they be kind, or as manipulative and greedy as Hans? She took a breath, refocusing her mind.

"I am here regarding your summons. A treaty, between our kingdoms through marriage." She spoke, praying to the gods there was no tremble in her voice to betray her nerves. The king looked up in surprise.

"Queen Elsa, of Arendelle?" He asked.

Elsa gritted her teeth and responded tersely, "Yes." She had been announced upon entering the room, but everything he did spoke that he was putting himself in a position of power above her. He was subtly reminding her that she needed him, not the other way around. And she had no choice but to let him. He appeared to think for a long moment, hand reaching up to stroke his beard. At the opposite end of the table, a squabble broke out between two of his sons, yet he paid them no mind. Elsa was beginning to wonder how someone as refined and regal as Hans had come out of the mess.

"You came for marriage?" King Westergaard finally asked.

Elsa once again bit back an angry storm of emotions. "Yes, M'Lord." She replied simply, humbly bowing her head. He wore a pleased expression at the show of submission, glancing over his table of twelve sons.

"I wish I could help, especially such a lovely lady as yourself. But it seems I just promised my last eligible son to another maiden."

Elsa's heart sank at the words, and she blinked back tears. She had failed. Arendelle would fall and the fault lay directly on her shoulders.

"Father, if I may." One of the men spoke up. He was older, and eyes were clear, lacking the dull meanness she saw in most of the others. Though he bore a striking resemblance to Hans, Elsa found that she instantly liked him.

"Yes, Lars?" The king asked, sounding altogether bored. The prince paused a moment, obviously carefully considering what he would say next. He cast a cautious glance to Elsa before turning back to his father.

"There is one other who is not promised nor wed to another woman."

A flash of ice spiked through her and Elsa shifted to cover the patch of ice that had formed beneath her. It was all she could do to keep from making it _snow_ in the grand room. The King looked almost as surprised at the suggestion. But it was the sort of surprise as though he had forgotten. _Oh, I have another son? That's right, the evil one._

"The throwaway?" He asked, and Elsa felt a streak of confusion at the name. It was unusual, even for one who had sullied the family name.

"I don't think-"

She was cut off by Lars, who simply began to speak over her. "He has been a disappointment, yes. And I know as well as the rest that we could easily take Arendelle once she is weak and have her for our own."

A white hot rage simmered down deep to hear her kingdom spoken about in such a manner, in her presence no less. The air took on a distinct chill. Lars continued on without paying her any notice.

"But Arendelle is far from us and is more work to conquer and run than she's worth. If we allow the Queen to marry Hans, it will establish a strong tie between the two kingdoms without us losing anything but a common slave here. Arendelle can pay us a hearty tribute and we shall reap the rewards without having to fight with other countries for the right." The Prince put up a compelling argument, even Elsa had to admit. The King appeared to mull the thought over, while she stood and stared dumbly, mind racing to process everything that was happening.

Marry Hans? _And had his brother called him a common slave?_ Obviously the idea of marrying a man that had tried to kill both her and her sister entirely repulsed her. But what other choice did she have? Images flashed through her mind of Arendelle at war. Her people enslaved… Elsa steeled herself, drawing her shoulders high. If it was between her and her kingdom, the choice was obvious. She had to protect her people first, even if that meant marrying a man that sickened her.

"Bring him in." The King said suddenly. Elsa's resolve nearly failed. But she managed to stay still as the two that had argued earlier lept to their feet, muttering something about the stables and heading out the door. The minutes that followed were mercilessly slow. The room was filled with the sound of the King sucking on his food and his sons who followed in suit. Her nerves frayed with every passing second, dreading the sight of Hans' face again. Footsteps and the sound of cruel laughter finally signaled their return. Hans was practically thrown into the room, landing on his hands and knees.

Elsa nearly didn't recognize him. His hair had grown out so it fell into his eyes and a patchy beard had sprouted. His clothes were that of a slave and he was covered in filth. Yet he lacked the bent and defeated back of a true slave. His shoulders were straight and though his head was down in submission, every muscle was taut. No, he was beaten but not yet broken.

Quickly following him came his brothers, shouting insults. Just as Hans attempted to rise, the first planted a hearty kick to his stomach and he fell to the side, spitting blood. He started to rise again and the other kicked him in the head, laughing coldly. Bile rose up in Elsa's throat to see such cruelty, even towards a man she hated. She looked up at the King, expecting him to put a stop to it. He looked on with disinterest and mild amusement.

"You have a visitor, boy." The sneered words were spoken with such disgust, Elsa recoiled to hear them.

"Go on then, _brother_." One of the two that had gone to fetch him grabbed Hans by the arm and tossed him forward. He stumbled, but nearly gained his feet. Until a still seated brother suck out a leg and tripped him. Hans fell to the floor and apparently laid there a moment too long, for a glass goblet was thrown at him, shattering over his head and leaving a gash in his skull. The room erupted into laughter and various food items were tossed at him as well. He rose to his feet and she caught a glimpse in his eyes for the first time.

His perfect mask was gone and the first thing she saw was a flash of surprise which she assumed to be because of her presence. The second thing was unbridled anger, so intense that it rocked her to her core. Then the contact was broken as yet another brother stood and took Hans' momentary distraction as an opportunity to send him flying with a powerful hit. From there, he didn't regain his feet. Time after time, he was kicked down as he struggled forward.

Elsa could only stare on in repulsion at the sight before her, shocked at such a display of hate and anger. Surely even the death sentence was kinder than what he was forced to endure. Finally, he made it to her feet and was let to breathe for a moment. Elsa just stood, unsure of how to react, watching him pant for air.

"Stand." She finally spoke softly, realizing that he was waiting for a command. Slowly, he rose to one knee.

"Yes Hans, stand before the Queen." One of his brothers snarled, lurching forward and shoving him down, grinding his heel into the back of Hans' head. He stepped back with a laugh and Hans began to rise again. Another stepped forward, but Elsa held a hand out, signalling him to stop. The room fell quiet and Hans finally managed to stand, nearly toppling once more as he attempted a small bow.

"Your Majesty." His eyes were blank once more and he smiled at her. With blood dripping through his beard and dirt covering his face, heavens help her, it was a gruesome sight. Elsa did her best to keep her expression unreadable. She nodded to him.

"Hello, Hans."

* * *

He thought he had covered his surprise quite well. Still, he wasn't sure what reason there could possible be for the Queen of Arendelle to pay him a visit, of all people.

"Come to make sure I'm receiving sufficient punishment?" Hans questioned, somehow managing to smile wider. The action pulled his face tight and make pain spike from one of the cuts on his cheek. She was staring at him with a blank expression, her violet eyes unreadable. As always, she danced right on the border of terrifying and beautiful.

"Well," His father spoke, but Hans didn't bother to turn around. The King wouldn't speak to him if he didn't have to, he was most likely speaking to Elsa, who hadn't responded to Hans' question yet. Not that he expected her to. Her eyes flicked away from Hans, he assumed to look at the King.

"Will you marry him?"

You could have knocked Hans over with a feather. He struggled to keep his face blank, but feared surprise was plainly evident on it. How could it not be? Why would Elsa offer him the very thing he'd been after in the first place? Marriage into the royal line of Arendelle. He stifled a streak of hope at the thought of escaping from the Southern Isles. Away from the taunting and hatred of his brothers. He could care less about the throne anymore, he just wanted out. But he carefully guarded his expression, not wanting to show any hope at the thought.

Elsa's face was a mix of emotion. There was curiosity, disgust, _pity_. He was indignant at the thought of her pitying him. He did not want nor need her pity. He didn't want anyone's, but especially not hers.

"I wish to speak with Hans in private." Her voice rang clear and confident, but Hans held back a snort. His father took orders from none. Of course, Elsa's icy look alone was enough to freeze a heart and Hans heard his brothers shift uncomfortably. They all knew what she was, what she could do.

"Surely it is not too much to ask that a woman speak momentarily with a man before agreeing to a betrothal." Her voice held a soothing diplomacy now that surprised even him. Her face took on a softer look, a sweet smile that said she was nothing more than a nervous woman.

 _Well,_ He thought. _I guess you learned a thing or two from me, Queen of Arendelle._ He dared a look to his father, who appeared conflicted. On one side, Hans could see that he clearly wanted to state his power and demand an answer that moment. On the other, he was swayed by Elsa's soft look and apparent meekness that appealed to his more masculine side. A smile twitched at Hans' mouth, appreciating the way that she had twisted him so quickly.

"I can assure you, it will be just a moment, Your Grace." She curtsied before him, and the look on his face told Hans that she had clearly won. The King waved a hand to signal a servant that quickly scurried to his side.

"Escort the Queen and my useless heap of a son to a more private room. They wish to speak, before agreeing to a marriage. A female's emotions, you know." Hans met his father's eyes for a brief moment, just long enough to see the cold hate that resided there. He looked away, accustomed to the sight. His relation between him and his family hadn't suffered much after returning. They had always felt like so about him, now they simply had a reason to show it plainly. Quietly, with his head bowed, Hans allowed himself to be escorted to a separate room with the Queen.

He heard her quietly dismiss the servant and they were left in silence. "You've changed." Her soft voice surprised him and he glanced up.

"It would seem so, Your Eminence." His voice dripped with thick sarcasm, full of the bitterness that had festered for a year and a half. Longer than that, really.

Elsa stiffened immediately at his words, regaining her regal posture. "You know why I'm here now, I suppose." She sounded so stiff and formal it almost made him laugh. Though she was every bit the perfect queen as ever, not a hair nor movement out of place, everything about her bespoke of a deep discomfort. No doubt, the source of which was from his presence, which he took great pleasure in. In some ways, that was his revenge. He had little reason to be angry at her, to be fair. Besides the fact that she had surprised him at every turn and forced him to turn to measures he had never intended.

"Oh, I know the purpose. However, I am baffled to think of what would drive you to such extreme measures. You must have reached a point of desperation to turn to me." He looked on with amusement, glancing over her appearance for the first time. Her hair was once again refined to a tight bun, with a few elaborate braids woven through it. Her dress was a deep midnight blue, with occasional dashes of bright gems throughout it, sparkling like stars. He had to wonder if it was a gown of her own creation, or one sewn for her. Part of him was tempted to reach out and feel the material to see if it would melt between his fingers, but he withheld.

She rose her head, obviously trying to keep her dignity about her, though her gloved hands trembled at her side. "Arendelle is weak, since my powers were discovered. Many doubt my leadership and the kingdoms around us do not wish to trade with me solely at the throne. To regain my kingdom's faith in me as a ruler, I must marry and create a tie with another." She began to pace as she spoke, talking faster and faster.

"Obviously, you would be my last choice. However, your father was the only one to respond positively to the inquiries I sent out. I came in person, hoping to secure an alliance with the Southern Isles, despite my distaste for the idea of creating ties with your family. It was the only way to save my kingdom, you see. But your father has promised his last acceptable son to another, leaving me with you as my only option. The thought is repulsive, to say the least. You would be a mere consort, my husband and in name only. You will never have the throne, you will never hold the title of King. This is only for the good of Arendelle and to ally with the Southern Isles." She was stern and swift in her explanation.

Hans only heard one thing. _He was her only option._ He still remembered almost those exact same words when Anna had been in danger. The other nobles had told him that he couldn't go after her, that he was Arendelle's last hope if something happened to her. He felt the same surge of pleasure at the thought of being needed. The fate of an entire kingdom rested in his hands, it was almost too good to be true. He regarded her coldly, enjoying all too well the power that he had, if just for a moment. Of course he had to accept, anything to get away from the Southern Isles on a permanent basis. It wasn't how he wanted it, what he had always dreamed about, but he would take it.

"I have some conditions of my own, if I'm to agree to such a thing." He said, a smirk dancing across his lips at the opportunity that had been handed to him. Elsa's back, if it were even possible, became even more ramrod straight. Her glare alone was icy enough to freeze him solid.

"You're hardly in a position to be making demands." She stated coldly. Her eyes betrayed no emotion other than a distinct anger barely concealed underneath it all. Hans brushed the hair out of his eyes, noticing for the first time the sharp pain in the back of his head where the goblet had shattered. It would form a goose egg by morning, to be sure. It only served to make her point, he wasn't in the place to be making demands. That didn't mean he wouldn't.

"Be that as it may," He began, walking casually closer to her. "I still have a few things. First, I would like to hear you ask me with a please. Second, I may not live the life of a king and I have come to terms with that. But neither will I live as a servant and be put in the servants quarters and made to do heavy labor. I want a comfortable place to stay and respectable work." He thought those to be entirely reasonable demands. He had considered requesting that get down on her knees to ask him, but decided that would be pushing it too far. The first request was only for his own amusement and he didn't think it was so much, but she was staring at him like it was an impossible request.

Elsa began to pace again, wringing her hands together while the air took on a chill. Hans actually grew worried at that. He wanted a moment to feel smug, but that wasn't worth being buried in snow. He remained silent, a tense expression on his face as he waited for the result of Elsa's pacing. She finally came to a stop in front of him and the chill in the air grew stronger.

"Prince Hans…" The words were spoken in pain and her eyes were fixed on his chest. Hans took her by the chin, lifting it up so that she was looking directly at him.

"My eyes are up here." He told her, ignoring the cold that spread through his fingers at the action. She stared up at him, eyes wide as saucers until his dropped his hand for fear of the pure anger in her eyes.  
"Please. For the good of Arendelle, marry me." She spoke through teeth gritted together so hard it was a wonder she could form words. He simply nodded at her, a smile spreading across his face once more.

"Of course I will." Finally. He would escape from the Southern Isles. He would lead a life, if not of luxury, of comfort. He would have some amount of power, and none of his brothers fists would come in contact with his face. It wasn't ruling, as he'd always dreamed of. He knew that he would make an excellent king.

Elsa sighed, head bowing in the picture of defeat. "Thank you." She practically whispered. Hans almost reached out a hand to touch her arm in comfort, but refrained. She didn't need or want his comfort, she would most likely hate his touch. That, he could work with. Hans knew hate much better than he knew comfort, so he took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow as any loving man would do with his fiancee.

"We must go share our happy news." He said, pasting a pleased smile on his face. Elsa ripped away from him violently, stepping several paces away.

"I will inform your father. I will also inform him that you must receive a bath and change of clothes before leaving. Returning to Arendelle with you at my side will be humiliating enough, I will not have you looking like a filthy slave." She tossed her hair back and left the room before he could utter a protest. The quick words had done their job in cutting him down to size and he felt about as tall as an inchworm with her biting words.

Hans chose not to follow her out, taking a seat in one of the opulent chairs that sat in the room and waiting. A servant would come for him soon enough, and he would be back in his finery once more.


	2. Home Again, Home Again

Author's Note: Ugh, you guys are awesome! I only just posted this and I've already got feedback on it! I was going to wait to update, but I figured why not? This chapter isn't as long as the last, but it does give a slightly different look at our rather obnoxious Hans. I hope all of you enjoy, and thank you so much for your support!

* * *

Elsa had seen very little of Hans, which she wasn't going to complain about. The passage had gone by uneventfully, besides one storm which the captain had called a small spring squall. Elsa had spent the entire time in her cabin under a foot of snow, fearing for the pitch black water outside of the hull. Beyond that, the week had passed smoothly and Hans had kept to himself.

He looked better, though. He was beginning to fill out once more, eating hearty meals with the crew each night. He had shaved and washed, and cut his hair, regaining his more refined appearance. Of course there was nothing he could do to hide the scar on his forehead, or newly hardened look in his eyes. On first glance, he looked the same in his old clothes. On the second glance, it was plain to see that Hans had become a man in the past year and a half.

She still hated what she had been forced into. Still hated him for what he had done. Still hated to think of how Arendelle would react to her bringing him back as her betrothed. But she had no other choice, as much as it pained her to admit. And looking across the deck to where he stood, leaned over the rail and looking out over the sea, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for him. Anna had been rather tight-lipped about his past, which was odd for her. In any case, Elsa had never imagined that his family could be so awful. And something about their treatment and his bitterness told her that it had always been similar to that.

She forced herself to cross the deck, standing beside him and looking out at the crystal blue waters. Waters that could turn at any moment and take a life in one powerful wave. She shut her eyes for a moment, once again picturing the wave that must have downed the ship her parents were in. With a shudder, Elsa opened her eyes once more and looked at Hans.

"For what it's worth," She began. He gave a start and looked over, apparently not having realized that she had approached. His look was distant and cold, like he was expecting some sort of lashing and preparing to detach himself.

"I did not know that they were so cruel." The words pained her to say. But it didn't matter what Hans had done, no one deserved what she had seen him suffer. Hans stared at her for a long moment before looking away once more with a snort.

"That's the way family is." He said bitterly. "Look at what you did to Anna."

Elsa stiffened, feeling a streak of cold at his response. She tried to tamp down the anger that welled up with his comparison. He dared liken her to his brothers? "I did what I did to protect Anna. My intentions were rooted out of love, not hate." She snapped harshly.

He merely nodded in reply, not even bothering to look at her. "Of course, my queen. You are innocent as ever." He told her curtly, straightening up once more and giving her a slight bow. "Allow me to remove myself from your presence. I would hate to sully you." He turned briskly on his heel and marched away.

She watched him stride away with indignation growing inside of her. She had been attempting to be kind. He had taken the gesture and thrown it away, like she was some sort of monster for approaching him. Elsa turned and her hands gripped the rail angrily. Ice spread along it, but she paid no mind. It was the cold inside that bothered her. A cold that had started the moment she'd resigned to marrying someone she did not love, and only grew once she was forced to choose Hans.

The cold feeling of nothingness had been something she longed for as a child. Oh, how she had strove to reach a point of not feeling anything. But the harder she had tried, the more her emotions had run wild and erupted in an icy blast. Now those emotions were tucked away in a creeping cold inside, one that she no longer wanted. Yet shouldn't imagine how to go on feeling while willingly marrying a man like Hans.

* * *

Hans was angry. He had resolved to stay away from the Ice Queen as much as possible, assuming that she would do the same. The last thing he'd expected was for her to act sympathetic. Towards him. He stormed into his bunk and tore open his tightly buttoned collar so he could breathe. In private, at least, he didn't need to keep up a charade. He had thought he would do it perfectly well, he had kept up an act before. But pretending to be an honorable prince while everybody on board looked at him with hatred in their eyes was not so easy.

He didn't want any relation between him and Elsa. There needed to be a carefully constructed wall there to keep them apart. In another burst of anger, Hans kicked his bed. It was nailed to the floor and the action hurt only him. The pain, however, brought him back to his senses, as pain always did. Physical pain, that he could always handle. It directed his mind and forced him to focus. It was time to start building a wall, one of polite words and playing the part he was meant for. Strengthening his resolve, Hans straightened his shoulders and left his bunk to return to the deck.

She was still where he had left her. Ice clung to the railing that she gripped and her face was cold and angry. A picture of fierce determination against the backdrop of a setting sun and red sky. She was beyond beautiful, he had to admit. He had never denied that fact. Even in full display of her powers, driven by rage and fear, she had been dazzling. And more than beautiful, she was beyond dangerous. How he treated her affected how she treated him and she could make his life miserable. It was time to put on the act once more.

Hans approached her cautiously, standing behind her and clearing his throat to catch her attention. She continued to stare out at the sea for a long moment and he was beginning to wonder if she would ignore him entirely when she turned around. She looked him over with a sharp eye, a glance that told him she would believe nothing he said. It told him that she saw right through every act he could put on and she would not be fooled.

He smiled anyway, bowing respectfully to her. "I must apologize for my earlier actions, my Queen. I am peaked from such travel at sea and I allowed my temper to best me. Forgive me." Etiquette dictated that she had to forgive him. She didn't. Elsa turned around once more, hands falling back on the icy railing.

"So you are capable of an apology." She sounded bored almost, but he could hear the thin lines of anger in her voice. He smiled a little and stepped up beside her.

"That surprises you?" He asked. She turned on him so suddenly Hans thought it must have hurt her neck.

"Considering the fact that you haven't even attempted to apologize for what you did, yes. That does surprise me. And your apology is not accepted." She fixed a glare on him, which Hans found oddly amusing.

"There isn't much point in apologizing for that, Queen Elsa. It's in the past now." He told her, watching the anger on her face turn to rage. As if the look on her face wasn't enough to give away the way she was feeling, a small cloud formed above them and and icy pricks began hitting Hans' face. It was sleeting.

"Are you even human?" She asked in an incredulous tone.

Hans leaned forward, smile twisting into a sneer. "Barely." He replied. Obviously she was determined to see him as a monster. Fine, he was happy to oblige. If she wanted to only see the evil side of him, that would be all that he gave her. Something cold hit his chest and Hans went flying back. Landing on his back, he couldn't help the cry of pain that escaped. He'd been ignoring the stiffness, but the blow to his back reminded him of the multitude of cuts and bruises on his back. He felt several of the barely healed lashes split open and a fresh wave of pain rolled over him.

He blinked away stars and fuzzy vision as the pain lowered to a manageable level, slowly making out the form of Elsa, standing over him. There was a whisper of concern on her face as she peered down at him, and he knew his reaction was not one fitting of the blow she'd dealt him. Perfect, another reason for her to pity him. With a gasp, Hans finally sucked in a breath and realized he'd been unable to draw one since landing. He tried to rise, but another crashing wave of pain halted him at the movement.

"Apologies...my queen." He rasped, attempting to regain some measure of decorum and avoid any further pity from her. She regarded him coolly and waved a pair of guards over.

"Return Prince Hans to his room. It seems he has fallen ill and cannot keep his feet. Please assure that he doesn't leave his cabin again until we reach Arendelle. I would hate for my fiancee to be sick for our wedding." Her voice was devoid of any emotion, it was almost impressive. But he caught a flicker of emotion on her face as he was pulled to his feet and forcefully escorted to his bunk. She stood in her place, watching until the door shut.

Hans sunk into his bed, lying on his stomach and trying not to cry in pain. His shirt was turning wet, telling him that he was bleeding again. Thank the gods, he was finally out of the Southern Isles.


	3. Family Matters

Authors Note: Alright, here's what you've all been wanting... Anna's reaction to Hans! I really just want to thank everyone for their reviews, you really got me excited to keep working on this and I got quite a bit more done this weekend. Oh, and it's of my own opinion that Hans did meet Kristoff at some point before he left Arendelle the first time, so that's why Hans knows who he is in this chapter~

* * *

To say Elsa was conflicted was a gross understatement. She watched Arendelle come into view, grateful for the sight of Arendelle's more welcoming castle. Though it was in a colder climate than the Southern Isles, it looked far more warm than their castle. But she still felt a knot of dread forming in the pit of her stomach to think of facing everyone back home.

Anna was going to be beyond angry. She didn't understand why Elsa had to marry at all, especially if it was to someone she didn't know or love. Her reaction to it being _Hans_ would not be pretty. His name alone was something they avoided saying if at all possible. Now he was going to be living with them. Yet for all her hatred, Elsa could not tamp down the streak of pity she felt for him. Obviously he was in far more pain than he was letting on. Even as he stood next to her, watching as they drew closer to Arendelle, he was stiffly straight and calm, nothing in his face giving away any pain.

She had known he was an excellent actor. She was only just beginning to realize that it was because he had learned to cover pain so well around his torturous family. She would never be able to forgive what he had done. But she could understand what had driven him to that point of insanity. Sighing, Elsa looked out over the rest of Arendelle. Dawn was still breaking and a fog hung low over the town. Her and Hans would slip through the docs quietly, but they would have to weave through the crowded market before a carriage could reach them. She could choose to wait on the ship for a royal escort, but she wanted to get Hans in the castle and away from the public eye as soon as possible. Gods knew what the people would do when they saw him.

Unfortunately, the thought of going through the market only served to increase her apprehension. She hated crowds. Actually, hate was too kind a word. She loathed them even more than she loathed Hans, which was an impressive feat indeed. Her gloved hands curled around the railing, but the thick fabric restricted any ice that could have come out. She wanted the ship to slow and take hours before reaching the docs. But it arrived smoothly and quickly, and a guard watching the doc rushed to escort her down.

Of course, he didn't actually allow her to touch him. He stood at the steps put up from the ship to the doc and seemed to be painfully out of sorts. On one hand, it was incredibly rude not to offer a hand to a lady coming down, no less the queen, but on the other hand there was a deep fear in his eyes. Elsa knew he was thinking of what she could do. About ready to face the treacherous steps alone, Hans hurried down in front of her and offered his hand. At any other point, she would have refused on principle, not wanting to touch him. From the smug look he was giving her, she could tell he was expecting a refusal.

Taking his hand, Elsa walked carefully down the steps. She had never learned to swim, so the last thing she wanted was to fall in and have to have someone come after her. Holding her head high, Elsa cast a withering look at the guard who was currently giving Hans an odd look. There was a glimmer of recognition, and she hoped he would pass it off in assumption that it was one of his brothers.

"Go to the castle and ready a carriage to fetch us outside of the market." She ordered quickly, before he could question. He was jarred out of his stare, looking over at her in surprise. Then with a bow, he was off. He took a horse at the shore and raced towards the castle. Elsa turned and began to walk slowly after him, dreading the crowded market and the people that would inhabit it. Hans fell into step beside her.

"It appears you've gotten used to having people to order around." His deep voice held the rumble of restrained laughter in it and she glanced up in surprise.

"I'm the queen." She reminded him. He merely nodded in reply, tucking his hands behind his back. He looked every bit the picture of royalty, right down to the charming smile he wore. But now that she knew to look for it, she could see that the smile didn't reach his eyes. His movements were stiff and he twisted and bent as little as possible, proving that his back was still hurting. She had to wonder how deep the damage went and made a mental note to have the physician take a look at him. She didn't know how well the Southern Isles would react to him marrying her only to die of infection a few weeks later. They might not care, or they might use it to declare war. Elsa didn't want to find out which.

The edge of the docs blended with the fisherman's market and Elsa watched the teeming of people. It seemed impossible that there could be so many in such a small space, but there they were. They hadn't realized her and Hans approaching yet, but she hoped that she could count on there being a wide path once they did. People feared to touch her for what she could do, and while that stung, it was a welcome relief when a crowd parted.

"Do we need to cross to the other side of the market?" Hans asked, making Elsa realize that she had come to a halt. She nodded.

"Yes… Of course." She took a cautious step forward, approaching the crowd. Someone finally looked up and shouted her arrival and a mix of cheers went up. Elsa nodded politely, beginning to work her way through the chaos. At least, she thought, it was not nearly as large as the main market. It would take only a few moments to pass through. As she expected, a path was created for her through the stalls. But people still called out to her, greeting and insult, some questioning how her trip went.

She continued to push through, rarely answering a question as her tension rose. Too many people. So many eyes on her, watching, waiting for a slip. The knot in her stomach drew tighter with every passing moment, but she could see the end of the market and clean air. If she could just make it that far, she could escape into the closed carriage that was waiting and nobody would be able to stare any longer. Her hands curled into fists at her side.

Hans placed a hand on her back. It was a reasonable thing to do, as her fiancee. But the action was too familiar for her to feel comfortable with. Eyes wide and fury settling within, concentrating on that touch and her anger kept her focused for the rest of the walk. She breathed a sigh of relief as they stepped out into the sunlight. She moved abruptly away from Hans, striding towards the waiting carriage. Creating a short step ladder of ice, she ignored his hand out to help and climbed in herself. He followed her with a chuckle, settling in across from her and leaning back into the seat.

The carriage was small, their knees would have touched if she didn't press them against the side of the carriage to avoid the touch. Once they rocked into motion, Elsa fixed him with a cold stare.

"You will not touch me." She said angrily, back still burning from his touch. He looked completely unaffected but her anger, smirking back at her.

"We're to be wed, it was an appropriate action. Besides, you seemed to be getting...nervous." He looked altogether too pleased with himself and it bothered her to no end.

"I was perfectly fine." _Lie._ "And this is a marriage of convenience, not love. There will be no signs of affection and absolutely no touching unless absolutely necessary. If I have not made it clear to you already, allow me to do so now; you repulse me. I would first marry a cow than you, but for the good of Arendelle I am forced into this. In my presence, you will not speak unless I directly permit you to. You will have no power here. Is that clear enough?" She asked, eyes as hard as she could make them. For a moment, some unreadable emotion crossed his eyes, but before she could even wonder what it meant, he covered it with his normal, blank look.

"We shall see, Your Majesty." His face spoke as plainly as his words. He had few intentions of following her rules. Well. She would have to think of something to do about that. Later, though. At the moment, she was hearing the guards open the gates and announce their arrival.

"Elsa!" Anna's faint shout drew a real smile from Elsa. It sounded as though her sister had been waiting on the balcony, no doubt with Kristoff at her side. She would worry about Hans later, for the moment she would just enjoy the joy of seeing Anna again. The carriage halted and Hans exited first. He held out his hand, which Elsa ignored in favor of creating steps and a handrail made of ice. She descended gracefully and dismissed the drive, looking up at the impressive doors to the castle. A guard swung open one side and Anna came barreling out.

* * *

Hans braced himself. Of course the first thing Anna did was embrace her sister, talking all the way. While she was distracted, Kristoff followed her out, looking like a rock. A big, angry rock, that noticed Hans the moment he stepped out. His faced turned thunderous and the man cross his arms, coming to a stop just a few paces in front of Hans. He was apparently intent on staring Hans down, who did his best to keep his shoulders straight and meet the other man's glare. He swallowed.

If he thought his reception from Elsa had been chilly… " _Oomph!_ " Distracted by Kristoff's glare and his own thoughts, Hans never saw Anna's fist coming.

"How dare you come back here!" She yelled over him, as Hans carefully regained his feet, trying not to split open the cuts on his back again. He was used to being hit of course. But he could still appreciate the force her small frame could pack into one hit.

"Anna!" Elsa reprimanded. Anna straightened up quickly, tucking her hands behind her back. Her eyes grew wide as she apparently discovered a new thought.

"Oh! You must be one of Hans' brothers! I'm so sorry, I'm sure you're nothing like your evil twin, you just looked a lot like him when I first saw you. Not that you look evil, I never thought that Hans looked evil. He was just, _ugh!_ I wish I could punch him again." Hans couldn't help but smile at the sight of the feisty redhead. Despite his actions, he had always liked Anna. She had a wild abandon about her that spoke of a kind of freedom he'd never experienced. She said what she thought, and that was refreshing.

Unfortunately, he had never loved her. He'd had no option but to leave her to die, and his own stupid pride had insisted he get the chance to watch the look on her face as she was subject to a cruel prank, as he had been so many times in his childhood. Looking at her, he found himself wondering what would have happened had he actually married her. Would he have grown to love her over time? Was he even capable of love?

"Anna, this _is_ Hans. Don't hit him again." Elsa spoke and Anna's purely murderous expression returned. Hans took a step back, in case Elsa's command wasn't enough to tamp down Anna's violent streak.

"He's what? Why would you bring him here? I thought you were going to get a husband? Is he going to be a stable boy or something? Our stables are too good for him!"

Elsa coughed and he glanced over at her. She appeared to be hiding a smile. "We should speak inside. In private." She said in her soothing tone, motioning to the castle staff and guards that were casting curious looks in their direction. Anna opened her mouth in what would obviously be a protest, but one look from Elsa made her snap it closed again.

"Come." Elsa said simply, turning and gracefully making her way up the steps and into the castle. For a moment, Hans wondered if her feet were even touching the ground underneath her heavy skirt. Anna followed after her, arms crossed and pausing just long enough to glare at Hans as she passed. He smiled in response and she hurried by.

Kristoff still stood, silent as a stone, staring at him. Hans waited, wondering if he would be murdered should he try to pass without permission. He had only met the man briefly, Then Kristoff flicked his head.

"You first." He growled. Hans hurried on, hearing Kristoff fall into step directly behind him. He felt his eyes on him all the way to the throne room, where Elsa had evidently chosen for them to meet. A few of the main castle staff were there as well, and the doors slammed shut once Hans and Kristoff entered. The echoing thud was intimidating, but nothing like all the faces that turned to glare at him. He was beginning to think that Elsa looked downright friendly, compared to the rest.

"Why is that thing here?" Anna demanded, throwing out a finger to point at Hans. He arched an eyebrow at her name for him, but said nothing in his own defense. Elsa fidgeted in her chair, taking a moment to respond. She didn't want to tell them and he could understand why. Of all the people, she probably hated him the least, so while she was the one marrying him, it would be harder for the other two to swallow.

"Given audience with the King of the Southern Isles, I found that he had no eligible sons left to marry." She began. Her voice sounded calm, but he heard a slight tremor under it all. "Arendelle cannot survive without an ally, as you both know…" Now her voice audibly shook and for once, Hans felt a twinge of pity.

"Marrying Hans-"

"WHAT!"

"-While detestable, is my only option to save this kingdom." She finished, smoothing down her skirt and looking for all the world like she had just been regrettably informed that her favorite flowers would not be available.

"You cannot marry him!" Anna shouted. Her arms began to wave madly as she began her animated protest. "He's, he's _Hans_! You know, the guy that tried to kill you! Tried to kill me! Tried to steal the kingdom! Evil, bad, Hans!" Kristoff patted her on the back gently.

"Calm down, feistypants. Let your sister talk."

Elsa's facade had failed, and she looked about ready to burst into tears. "It is for the good of the kingd-"

"I don't care who it's good for! You cannot marry him, I will not live in the same castle as that man!"

"This isn't about you, Anna!" Elsa suddenly stood and even Hans took a step back in surprise to hear the authoritative tone in her voice. Anna went completely silent, looking up in shock and hurt.

Elsa railroaded on, though her face softened a touch. "This is about Arendelle. I will not see my country in war. Our people will not be deprived of resources so that I can selfishly wait to marry a man I love. I will never know a love like you and Kristoff have, I have come to terms with that. Now I need you to stop being selfish too and think of what's best for our people. I think you of all people know that I would never marry Hans if it were not my only option, I am sickened at what must be done. But it must be done."

She sat again, and he spotted her hands shaking. Then her eyes locked on his and she gave a flick of her wrist. "Hans, you may go. I wish to speak to my sister and her husband in private. One of the guards will escort you to your temporary room."

Hans bowed low, realizing briefly that he hadn't spoken a word yet. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

He turned curtly and left the room. A guard stood outside the door, face betraying that he had been listening in. Hans sighed.

"I am to go to my room." He told the man with a roll of his eyes. He felt like a reticent child, being banished from dinner for breaking some small rule. "And I must go straight to bed without any desert." He added, just for good measure. The guard coughed, and he was certain that it was to cover a laugh.

"This way." The man said gruffly. It wasn't too long a walk, for one used to the castle in the Southern Isles. Arendelle's castle was much more compact, not one long passageway. His room was opulent and beautiful. No doubt, it had been prepared for a real prince, not one who had disgraced himself and angered the royal family. Well, he wasn't going to complain.

"Think you could spare a moment to fetch me a crust of bread from the kitchens? I've eaten stale food on a ship for the past two weeks." It had been better what he was used to before that, but he wouldn't point that out. The guard nodded.

"Aye. Just don't tell her majesty." He turned and shut Hans' door. He heard the click of a lock sliding into place and shook his head. Of course they would lock him in. Because he would get into so much trouble around the castle… Hans sat on his bed, sighing in relief. He couldn't remember the last time he'd sat on something so soft. He laid down on his back, surprised to find it didn't even hurt to do so in the bed. He fully intended to stay up until the guard returned with his food. It was the middle of the morning, after all. But his eyes fell shut and he was fast asleep, clothes and all, when the guard returned.


	4. A Frozen Healing

Author note: Wow, lot's of opinions on Anna! I would love to get into the way I see her brain working, but I feel like that would give too much away for the rest of the story. When I reach that point, I'll probably talk a little on why I see her being the way she is. For now I'll say that yes she deserves to be angry and a big reason of why she is, is _for_ Elsa. She wants happiness for her older sister and how is Hans supposed to bring that about? Anyways, thanks to all of you for your reviewing! And I promise that in later chapters Kristoff will get a lot more love. He kinda disappears for a while, but I DO love the big guy, so he'll get some more screen time later on.

Most of what you guys asked will come in some form or another in the future! (It's like you're reading my mind)

* * *

"Does he have to eat with us?" Anna's voice was beginning to grate on Elsa's nerves. She dearly loved her sister, but Anna was not making the situation any easier. She had finally given up on trying to talk Elsa out of marrying Hans and shifted to complaining about him. Hans, on the other hand, was silent as a dormouse. He ate quickly and immaculately, not spilling a drop of food in his haste. He was practically invisible at the table, blending into the woodwork. It was almost fascinating to watch.

"Yes Anna, Hans will be sharing meals with us." Her voice sounded tired, even to her. She didn't have the energy to argue with Anna over something so trite. Granted, she would have preferred to dine with only Anna and Kristoff, to tell them about the trip and share her own doubts and worries about the times to come, but they all had to get used to having Hans around. As much as they may dislike it.

"I'll hurt him if he tries anything, Anna." Kristoff reassured his wife, reaching over to pat her hand. Anna settled in, picking around her vegetables and casting unhappy glances at Hans. He didn't so much as look up from his plate until he was done, at which point he stood and asked permission to retire for the night.

"Stay." Elsa told him. He looked over in surprise. "We have things to discuss." She explained shortly. He nodded, displeasure evident, and sat down again. She wondered at his compliance, but read into the strained lines on his face. He was in pain again, worse than before. There were dark circles under his eyes, which she hadn't noticed before. He seemed to be as stretched and tired as she felt, but she knew that the bruises he had put him in a worse position.

"What do you have to discuss with him?" Anna questioned, eyeing Hans distrustfully.

"The wedding. It should happen as soon as possible." All the eyes at the table were suddenly fixed on her. Hans smirked.

"Anxious to be married, are you?" He asked smugly. Then he gave a yelp, and from the angry look on Anna's face, Elsa guessed that she had kicked him. She sighed.

"Let's all try to act like adults for the moment being. I know it's difficult for most of you-"

"Hey!"

"Excluding Kristoff," She conceded with a nod, smiling briefly. She'd had a rocky start with Kristoff as the two had butted heads in regards to Anna. He seemed to Elsa little more than a gold-digger and she'd seemed to him a particularly cruel sister to ignore Anna for so long. But they had eventually come to an understanding, and slowly, a friendship. Now she counted on him to be steady when Anna was flighty and even sought his advice at times. In the kindest of ways, she saw him as a rock. A very dependable rock.

"We must focus on what's important at the moment. Once Hans and I are married, we will have a steady alliance with the Southern Isles. We will pay a tribute-"

"You're marrying Hans for this alliance and we still have to pay a tribute? They should be paying us for taking him off their hands!" Anna exclaimed, cutting off Elsa. She suffered another long sigh.

"This is politics, Anna. We need them, thus they have the upper hand and can demand more from us. In any case, we are still vulnerable until that tie is secure. For it to be secure, I must marry. I propose a quiet affair, only castle staff and the family. Of course it will be announced, and perhaps some sort of ball can be held in celebration at a later point. But I do not wish to hear people's protests or have the world watching my wedding." She spoke firmly, hoping to avoid any further protests.

"But-"

"Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is."

Anna slid down in her chair, pouting. She put up no further exclamations, though, and the room fell into an uncomfortable silence, besides the sound of Kristoff still happily enjoying his food. Hans finally cleared his throat.

"Is that all, then?" He asked. Elsa glanced over and noticed once again the pained look he barely covered. She nodded, pushing her chair back and standing.

"It is. Allow me to walk with you to your room." She said, ignoring the surprised looks from both Anna and Kristoff. They had no doubt been expecting her to stay and talk with them without Hans' listening ear. She had been expecting the same, surprising herself. Hans merely nodded and stood, exiting the room with her. They walked in tense silence, Elsa waiting for him to say something crude to ruin the peace, but he stayed quiet.

"This is my room." He said, drawing to a stop. Elsa nodded, taking a nervous breath.

"May I enter?"

Hans looked confused and cautious, but nodded. He watched her like a hawk, or perhaps more like someone expecting to be attacked at any moment. She stepped into the center of the room, realizing it was her first time to be in a man's chambers. It wasn't entirely appropriate, as they weren't yet married, but she wasn't worried about appearances at the moment.

"Is there something you wished to discuss?" Hans broke the silence, standing by the door. Elsa wove her fingers together, then pulled them apart again, walking a few paces over to look out the window.

"The physician saw to you, today?" She questioned.

"He did. He gave me some herbs and bandaged my back." He sounded as though his patience was barely confined. He sounded tired.

"But you're still in pain." Elsa finished off what he didn't say. Hans didn't reply, which she took as an affirmative. She turned around, gathering her courage.

"Take off your shirt."

* * *

Hans just about choked. Had he actually just heard what he thought? Elsa still stood in front of him, looking rather expectant and nervous. Then her eyes flew open and a blush flamed up her cheeks.

"I don't-that wasn't-" She held a hand up to her mouth in surprise. "I believe I can help. Your wounds, that is. I've found that I have a certain amount of healing in my powers, and I may be able to speed your recovery." She spoke quickly and the tension eased. Hans thought of making a joke, but decided things were already uncomfortable enough. A big part of him wanted to refuse her help, but the pain had only been growing steadily. He knew that it could have permanent repercussions, so he swallowed his pride and nodded.

He'd never actually been shirtless in front of a woman, before. Once he'd heard of Elsa's parents deaths and begun planning for his opportunity to come, he had spent all of his time and energy trying to get his father to have even the slightest degree of respect for him. Women had never really entered the picture.

"You should shut the door." Elsa told him, her blush only flaming brighter on her pale cheeks. "It's just, people, and nobody should really.."

"Appearances." Hans said simply, shutting the door. She nodded. She looked like she was going to be sick, and she turned away once he began to unbutton his shirt. He had to admit, even he felt oddly nervous. He knew she wouldn't hurt him. As much as she hated him, she wasn't one to unnecessarily hurt anyone. Which was why he didn't understand why so many people so obviously feared her. Yes she was powerful, but she had proven herself to have control over her powers.

"What now?" He asked, laying his shirt to the side. The air was cold, and goosebumps rose up on his arms. He crossed them over his chest, letting his face fall blank. He did not want Elsa to know that he felt as uncomfortable as she looked. She refused to meet his eyes.

"Lie down on your stomach on the bed." She told him, biting her lip. Hans did as he was told, linking his hands together and resting his head on top of them. He hardly felt the bed move when she sat down beside him.

"I won't hurt you." She said first.

"I know. You're not the monster they fear you to be." He replied. He heard a swift intake of breath at his words, no doubt, recalling the first time he'd said something similar. But she said nothing and after a moment, he felt her icy hands on his back. Coolness spread from everywhere she touched, but it wasn't painful, surprisingly. It was pleasantly numbing, and his pain began to fade. He sighed in relief, feeling his entire body relax. The worst spots she numbed completely and he imagined she was somehow freezing those. He felt himself drifting with every touch. His eyes began to droop, the lack of pain for the first time in over a year leaving him limp and exhausted.

"These scars are older. At least a few years." Elsa's soft voice spoke of plain surprise as her fingers trailed over his back. Hans shut his eyes, grimacing as he thought of when he'd received the long stripes down his back.

"One of my brothers… He made a cat of nine tails and wanted to try it out on someone. Apparently I was handy." He wouldn't mention that it had been his 'birthday present'. He was beginning to get the idea that it wasn't so much just 'what brothers do'.

"That's awful." She breathed, her hand splaying out across his back. Hans was too tired to think up a snarky reply, so he stayed silent.

"Wait here. And don't go to sleep yet." She ordered. He felt the bed shift as she moved and left, and he drowsily wondered if he would be able to follow her order not to sleep. He thought he heard her speaking to someone, but couldn't make it out. It could have been minutes or it could have been an hour later when she returned, he wasn't sure. Something hot suddenly pressed into his back, contradicting the cold sharply and he gave a start. Elsa put her hand on his back again, pushing him back down.

"Hot rocks. It will help your muscles relax and keep the cold from harming you." She explained. Hans slowly relaxed again, finding that she was right. As relaxed as he had been before, the hot rocks she placed up his spine sent a slow warmth through him and felt better than anything he could remember.

"Mmm." The most intelligent response he could muster. He thought he heard her humming as she continued, but couldn't be sure. As the rocks began to cool, she would take them off and numb his back again, then replace the rocks. Finally, she removed the rocks and he felt something soft over his back. He tried to thank her, but only mumbled.

"Just sleep. You'll feel better come morning." There was the quiet sound of her footsteps retreating, then his door shut. Hans finally gave in and let sleep claim him.

* * *

Hans woke feeling refreshed. He felt like he had died and come back to life. He hadn't even realized how stiff and pained he'd been until he stood and stretched and pain didn't flood him. He still felt like he could breathe. Gods, he felt more alive than he had in the entire past two years. But the sun was already high in the sky, he noticed. He had overslept far into the day, something he rarely did. He was used to being up with the sun, rising at the crack of dawn. To sleep so late felt lazy.

No doubt, he would hear no end of it from the two sisters he had to face. Hans quickly washed with a pitcher of water at the dresser in his room. At some point he would have to have another actual bath, but he imagined that would be on the day of his wedding. Hans paused a moment at that thought, looking up into the mirror that hung on the wall. His wedding. He hadn't actually thought that much about it. He was going to be married to the ice queen. The thought stirred up a mix of emotions, none of which were particularly bad. He smiled. Yes, it was a marriage of convenience. But there were worse people to be conveniently married to.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he dressed quickly. His stomach was demanding food, and he could smell that the midday meal was most likely being served. Following his nose to the smaller dining room where the royal family shared meals, Hans entered cautiously. Anna, Kristoff and Elsa looked up at him. Anna snickered.

"Hey sleeping beauty. Get enough beauty rest?" She taunted. Hans hardly took the time to shoot her a glare, walking up to the table and taking a seat. There was no place for him.

"We weren't sure that you would be joining us." Elsa told him, far more reserved than Anna. But even her voice held a hint of laughter in it. She waved to a maid who was standing at the far end of the room, waiting for someone to need something.

"Fetch a plate for Prince Hans."

Well. He hadn't been called that in a long time. "I apologize for sleeping late. It was not my intentions." It was her fault. She had knocked him out with whatever she did to him.

"So sleeping a day and a half is just sleeping late?" Anna asked him, head tilting to the side. Hans looked up quickly, unable to hide the shock on his face. She obviously enjoyed his surprise, smiling smugly at him.

"A day and a half?" He asked. He thought it had just been a night. "What day is it?" He had never slept that long in his life. No wonder he felt disoriented. And refreshed.

"It's your wedding day, that's what it is." Kristoff didn't bother to finish the food he was chewing before speaking. It was obvious that he was the only one at the table to not have been raised with proper etiquette, though Anna wasn't much better. She played with her food, waving her utensils around and talking loudly. Elsa, on the other hand, was the picture of decorum. She ate in small bites, taking only small portions of what she had been served and looking over a book while the others talked. But Hans was still caught on one thing.

"I slept a day and a half? And today is the wedding?" Well, two things.

"It's alright, everything's been taken care of. You'll be fitted for your suit after the meal and the staff has been working on preparing the chapel for us." Elsa's short, clipped words reminded him of a fact he forgotten for a short moment. He was not a guest. He was not wanted. He had no say in what was happening or how it would happen. He was nothing but a necessary evil, a means to an end. Fate playing cruel irony with him, twisting the tables on him. Once he had tried to use one of them as a pawn to gain the throne, now they were using him to keep it.

With a wry grin, Hans accepted the plate handed to him. Well, at least he could appreciate the humor in the situation. He ate ferociously fast, first because of the insane hunger from sleeping over a day, and second because he had learned to do so as a child. With thirteen brothers, you had to shovel food away as quickly as possible, unless you wanted it taken. He never let any go to waste, either. The sooner he ate, the sooner he could escape from the table and avoid the presence of his brothers. It had gotten him in trouble more than once in social situations, so he had learned to slow down.

Somehow, he didn't think his eating habits would be a problem at his current table. He didn't feel the need to leave as fast as possible, either. He accepted a second serving and downed it a little more slowly than the first, savoring the good food. He did refuse a third portion, pushing his plate aside. Looking at Elsa, she hadn't finished even half her plate. She hadn't turned the page in her book, either. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked over at him, eyebrow arching in question. Hans searched for something to say, and it occurred to him to thank her.

"I do feel much better, today. Thank you." He said politely. Both Anna and Kristoff looked over. Elsa swallowed. It took a moment, but Hans realized his blunder. She hadn't told her sister or Kristoff about helping him, and she didn't want them to know.

"The physician you sent helped a great deal." He said smoothly. Elsa relaxed and turned back to her book.

"Good. I don't want to strain relations with the Southern Isles by allowing you to die from infection a week after our marriage. People would talk." She flipped a page, not bothering to look over. Hans felt the sting of being knocked back into place. She seemed quite determined to remind him just how much she cared for him. Not at all. He stood and excused himself. Elsa waved a dismissive hand, but the other two didn't so much as look up. Hans walked stiffly, angrily, to the door and left. Perhaps it wasn't so different from what he was used to.


	5. Winter Wedding

**A/N: I know the wedding came really fast, but I really didn't have many ideas for before the wedding. Besides, I think it is something that would happen pretty quickly. So, thank you for the reviews, and please keep talking! I need your opinions on things.**

* * *

Elsa had spent hours working on her dress, under Anna's watchful eye. The marriage was a sham, but Anna insisted that the wedding didn't have to show it. As a result, her dress was like the blue one she seldom wore; made completely of ice. It was a shimmering white with tiny snowflakes hidden in the folds. The skirt wasn't overly large as so many were, but neither was it as...revealing as her other. It fell smoothly around her hips and flared out softly towards the floor. The gown itself didn't have a train, but she created a cape of sheer material to trail behind her. Her veil glittered, only a thin layer made to cover her face, while her hair was let loose to curl around her shoulders.

"Are you sure I should wear it down?" Elsa asked again, staring at her reflection. She felt beautiful. She didn't want to. Anna fussed with her veil, making sure it was in place.

"Of course I'm sure. You always wear it up, today's a day to be different." She said confidently. Finally, Anna took a step back and looked her over. She was trying to smile, but her eyes turned watery. With that, Elsa couldn't take anymore. She'd withheld for weeks, but now facing the actual wedding day, she couldn't keep back the tears.

Anna hurried forward and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, I know I haven't made this any easier on you. I just got so angry and focused on myself, I forgot to think what this must be like for you."

Elsa could hear that she was crying too, and she held onto her sister, suddenly feeling limp. "Oh Anna, I don't want to marry him." She admitted through her tears. Anna pulled her over to the bed, coaxing her into sitting down. She rubbed Elsa's back gently and the comforting touch soothed away the tears.

"We can find another way." Anna said. "This can't be the only option.. Things always work out, I know you can find love." She sounded so sure of it, Elsa almost felt a glimmer of hope. But she shoved it down and forced herself to stop crying.

"No. This is the only way for Arendelle. I can't be selfish." Oh, she so wanted to be selfish. She wanted to flee back up the North Mountain and live in isolation, without the pressures of being queen. It was like a thousand pounds, always weighing on her shoulders and dragging her down.

Anna hugged her again. "Maybe he'll change." She suggested. Elsa smiled at her positivity. But thinking through her different interactions with Hans, she couldn't dredge up much hope for change.

"I don't think he can, Anna. His pain runs too deep. He let bitterness rule." She said sadly. It was too bad, Hans could have been a good man.

"You will be happy." Anna said confidently. She reached over and squeezed Elsa's hand, smiling a wiping the tears from her cheeks for her.

"Come on then, we'll be late! And we have to fix our faces now."

* * *

No more than a half an hour later, Elsa was ready once more. Her face, while puffier than before, looked like it should on any wedding day. _On her wedding day_. Kristoff was the one to walk her down the aisle. It should have been her father in the place of a brother-in-law, but Kristoff was the closest male figure in her life. And at least he had gotten over his fear of her touching him. She also wore a pair of elegant white gloves to match her dress.

The chapel itself was practically empty. It was the same place in which her coronation had been held, but it seemed much larger and even more intimidating without the multitude of people there had been for the coronation. Every step echoed through the place, even the slightest mistake could be heard. Kristoff leaned down a bit two whisper to her.

"If you don't want to go through with this, you don't have to."

Elsa shook her head, stomach sinking. "No. I can do this." She insisted.

He walked a few more paces in silence. "I can always arrange an accident for him after a while. Wait a couple months, even a year if you're too worried about what the Southern Isles would think." He assured her in an even tone, a pleasant look still on his face. Elsa swallowed a laugh.

"I'll be fine, Kristoff. No need to work so hard."

"It wouldn't be all that hard. I could take him on a trip with me ice harvesting. Accidents happen all the time up there. He could fall through the ice and I might not get to him in time. Even if I do, hypothermia is a difficult sickness to beat. Nobody would blame you for that kind of accident." His voice dropped lower as they drew closer to the front of the aisle. It was all Elsa could do to keep herself from smiling.

"Kristoff.." She said in a warning tone. He squeezed her arm.

"Just so you know. I've thought plenty about this. It wouldn't be all that difficult, and I can come up with countless different ways that would prevent you from getting blamed."

Elsa gave a small cough, subtly cooling Kristoff's hand to show her displeasure. He just smirked down at her and she forced herself to fix her eyes ahead, grateful that there was a veil to cover her smile.

Anna waited for her at the front, bouncing on her heels in excitement when Elsa came into view.

Hans was there, too. He looked more as though he'd been struck when he saw her. Then his eyes turned and fixed on some other spot, his expression blank. In her foolish worry, Elsa wondered if she looked alright. For a moment, she wasn't a woman being forced into a marriage with a man she hated. For a moment, she was just a nervous bride hoping her appearance pleased the man about to become her husband. That moment ended, fortunately, and she came to her senses. She didn't care what Hans thought of her.

She reached the top of the stairs and Kristoff gave her hand a reassuring pat, before taking his place standing next to Anna. Elsa stepped up beside Hans, trying to calm her trembling hands. He still stared straight ahead. The priest began to droll in Latin.

"Elsa!" Anna's whisper wasn't subtle in the least. Elsa looked over, as did everyone else, and the priest paused. Anna had the good graces to look bashful, but she stepped up to Elsa's side and took her hands.

"This is _your_ wedding. Have it how you want it." She stepped back, taking Elsa's gloves with her. "Do the magic."

Elsa's first thought was to refuse. But Anna was right, it was her wedding. And there was nobody around but castle staff. She looked to Hans, who looked back at her with nothing more than curiosity in his eyes. Elsa held a hand out, resolving to do it. A stream of ice shot from her hand, reaching the ceiling and covering it with delicate snowflake designs and icy frost. It spread to the walls, giving the whole chapel an enchanted look. Next, she made it snow. Lightly, of course. It melted into nothing upon touch, but the room looked ethereal, every fragment of ice catching the light and setting the room on fire. She smiled. Now, it was her wedding.

Anna nodded in happy approval. Kristoff, as always, looked completely amazed with all the ice. Hans looked on with...wonder? She actually thought she saw a smile from him. A _real_ smile. But the moment passed to quickly for her to decide, and he turned back to the priest, Elsa following in suit. The priest continued droning, and the momentary stall on their marriage was over.

* * *

Hans was doing his best to stay on his feet. Elsa was easily the most exquisite thing he had ever seen in her wedding dress. For the first time, he was seeing her with her hair spilling down and not in a braid or a tight bun. It was all he could do to fix his eyes ahead and not just stare at her. She was perfect. He would never admit it to her, never even hint at it in her presence. Or outside of it, for that matter. But he could not find a fault in her appearance.

Blandly, he repeated what he was told by the priest. He only knew a rough translation of the latin words, so it didn't mean much to him. Well. Much past the fact that he was binding himself with words to Elsa for the rest of his life. Judging from the way Anna kept looking at him though, it was possible he didn't have too much time left. She wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had no doubt that she could arrange a little accident for him.

Perhaps not the best thing to dwell on one his wedding day. It was Elsa's turn to repeat the words, and she recited them easily. Given her planning, she had most likely been repeating them in her head for months. She had probably never imagined she would be repeating them to him, though. Her face was hidden behind the veil, but he could almost make out her expression. She looked ready to be sick.

Thankfully, the ceremony was cut down to the bare bones. There was no need for pomp or circumstance, nobody needed the show. Before he knew it, the majority of it was over. Elsa looked up at him, and with a start, Hans realized that it was the part of the ceremony he was supposed to kiss her. Every eye in the room was trained on him, most of them glaring daggers at him. He moved her veil aside and swiftly kissed her on the cheek. Admittedly, a part of him was tempted to try an actual kiss. But he was intelligent enough to when not to push things, and in a room full of people protective of Elsa, he didn't think it would be his wisest move to follow that impulse.

And just like that, it was done. It was over so suddenly, Hans realized he had no idea as to what was supposed to happen next. He was definitely smart enough to know it wouldn't be what normally happened after a wedding. Producing an heir to the throne would most likely fall to Anna and Kristoff.

Elsa led the small wedding party to the balcony, where a crowd of people had gathered upon the news that their queen had an announcement. A quiet hush fell over everyone when she spoke, declaring her marriage. Hans stepped up beside her, facing the confused and hateful looks of her people. She continued to make it clear that he was not, nor would he ever be, their king. Hans attempted to keep his head high, but it was no easy feat.

He had always wanted to rule, yes. But it had been because he honestly believed he would be a good king. He knew that people would love him. These people didn't love him. It was the same people that had once looked at him as their savior, their hero. Now they just looked angry. He swallowed, realizing just how protective the people of Arendelle were of Elsa. They feared her, yes. But they dearly loved their queen. They did not care so much for him. All because of one mistake…

Almost as suddenly as the wedding, that was over too. Anna and Kristoff excused themselves and the servants returned to their duties, leaving Hans and Elsa alone. Alone as husband and wife, for the first time.

"I'll show you to your permanent room." She said in a cool tone. Hans linked his hands behind his back, falling into step beside her.

"Is that the dungeon?" He inquired, feeling particularly testy.

She took in a deep, annoyed sounding breath. "We made a deal. I honor my word, unlike some. You will have a comfortable place to stay and no manual labor will be forced upon you." Elsa replied, voice taut like she was ready to snap at the slightest prick. Hans wondered how long it would take before he could get her to blow. He was used to little jabs directed at him and his character, so her comment was easily brushed to the side when he had something else to focus on.

"Your Majesty, you're too kind. I never would have imagined you would truly treat a kept man so well." Two years earlier, he never would have referred to himself in such a shameful position, even in jest. But his pride had taken quite a beating and it was next to nil. Elsa's reaction was worth it, anyway. She grew even tenser, hands balling into fists at her side.

"You know my reasons. If you wish to refer to yourself as even less than a husband, that is your choice." She told him in an even tone. Hans smiled, looking down and towards the side at her. She was still in her dress and it was still the most stunning thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Oh, I wouldn't call myself your husband or a kept man. Both of those would share a room with you." He said, a smirk falling into place. He heard a swift intake of breath and her step faltered. She stopped walking and turned on him, fury in her eyes.

"You will stay in the room beside mine." Elsa said, so obviously calculating every word that she spoke. Hans leaned in closer.

"Anxious to be close to me?" He taunted. She slapped him. It left a cold sting on his cheek and it surprised him. Anna, he had expected her to hit him. Possibly even Kristoff. But not Elsa, she always seemed to reserved for that. He rubbed his cheek and smiled.

"I want to have you near, yes. I want to know when you do something you shouldn't and be the first to threaten your life." Elsa snapped, flicking her wrist. Icy handcuffs twisted around his wrists, holding him tightly. She met his look with a smile of her own, apparently pleased with herself.

Hans tipped his head to the side. "Now, what do I have to trouble myself with? Not as if I can gain anything from you now. Nothing that you would ever give, tricked or not." He pointed out. Honestly, he knew there wasn't any moving up from the position he was in, and he was happy to have gained it. Anything was better than where he had been, but he had never dared to hope for such a stroke of luck.

Elsa didn't look convinced. "I'm certain you could find something. Some way to try to steal the kingdom." She said bitterly.

Hans smiled in reply. "I'm touched that you think so highly of my abilities, my queen."

She glared at him for a long moment, before turning and beginning to walk again, shoulders thrown back and head high. Hans followed, finding that the ice chains around his wrists clinked slightly with every step.

"I don't fear that you will succeed in any plans you may conceive." Elsa finally spoke again, not bothering to look to the side at him. "I simply don't intend to give you a chance to try."

Hans merely nodded, allowing them to walk in silence for a period. She drew to a stop outside of a red door, dissolving his chains with a snap. He gratefully rubbed his wrists, getting warmth back into the cold skin.

"Your room." Elsa said, arching an eyebrow. Hans opened the door and stepped in. It was everything one could expect from chambers in a castle. Richly decorated, an excellent view of the kingdom. A twinge of guilt told him that he didn't deserve it, but he brushed that feeling aside. He'd suffered enough already.

"It's quite-" Elsa cut him off before he could finish.

"I shall see you in the morning to discuss how you will spend your days." There was a gust of icy wind and his door slammed shut. He heard a lock slide into place.


	6. Honeymoon Phase

**A/N: This chapter is a little short, but I promise the next update will come a little quicker because of it. But I believe it does have something several of you have been waiting for, so enjoy angry Hans! And once again, thank you guys for your reviews, they really give me the inspiration to keep going.**

* * *

Elsa drew a shaky breath, escaping into the safety of her own room. Hans was beyond frustrating. And she was married to him. She let the truth of that sink in for a moment, hand rising to her chest. She was married. To Hans. Never in a million years had she dreamed of that happening. Of course, it had been a possibility before, too. A month before her coronation, she'd received a letter, him declaring his intentions to come and meet her. To ask for her hand.

She'd considered it. She had sent no reply, only waited, debating in her head whether it could possible be the right choice for Arendelle. To have a king as well as a queen. But apparently he had taken one look at Anna and decided that she would be easier. Or maybe he'd just liked her better. It didn't really matter, anyway. She was the one that had wound up having to marry the beast, in the long run.

Somewhere deep inside, she still wondered. What would life be like had she accepted the offer before he ever arrived? Would he still have changed to Anna? Would the marriage have been a happier affair than the one they'd just gone through? Perhaps they could have at least pretended to be happy. Perhaps he wouldn't have tried to kill anyone and Elsa never would have doubted his character and she could have grown to care about him, never realizing what he truly was inside.

No use thinking about what-ifs, though. Their lives had been sent down a different path, and at least Elsa knew the truth. Hans didn't have a heart to give. Their wedding night wasn't a normal one, she knew that much. She understood what usually happened, but heavens help her, she didn't know the specifics. She'd never even been so much as kissed before. At least that was something she never had to worry about.

With a heavy sigh, she walked to the window seat and sat, looking out at her view of the kingdom. The sun was almost gone of the horizon, sending streaks of red over the fjord and casting a dim light through the town. It was beautiful. She loved Arendelle more than she could possible describe. But the people, they didn't seem to care for her so much.

She had wanted to keep the gates open all the time, allow everyone into the courtyard. But after three attempts made on her life, she was made to shut the gates except for special occasions. Some people didn't mind her ruling. Others… Well, between being a woman and having magic, she wasn't well-loved. At least she was married, finally. Granted, he wasn't actually king, but it would still surely put some minds to rest. People would believe he could 'guide' her and help her to make the right choices. She didn't have to tell them that she would not be following any piece of advice that Hans gave her.

It was strange, though. She had expected to feel trapped and hopeless once she was finally married. But she just felt relaxed, like a weight was off her shoulders. The people would be happy, she could possibly get more kingdoms could trade with her once more. And she no longer had the pressure of wondering how she would ever meet her love. She just never would. To Anna, that thought would have been devastating. To Elsa, it was a relief. No more looking or tense dances with overly eager men. No more wondering, hearing whispers of people saying she would wind up a spinster. She had a very simple, irrefutable reason for not finding love. She was already married.

Even if Hans was less than desirable. She resolved to give him a chance to be decent every time they spoke, and every time, he went on to say something boorish or downright cruel. Obviously he didn't want any amount of civility between them. It meant that it would be a tired existence, interacting with him overmuch. And she still had the matter of deciding what he was to do. She didn't trust him to handle any interactions with other kingdoms, speaking to the people for her, or organizing any of the supplies or goods of the kingdom. There was no telling what he could do with that kind of power.

There wasn't much, outside of that. She could put him in charge of the workings of the castle, but what would he know about that? It was a dilemma she had yet to solve. The only thing she could think was allow him to take some of her responsibilities and go over it before any of it was sent or given to the proper people. A poor solution, really. She could only barely read. Being raised in seclusion, she had refused to see even a tutor in her childhood.

In the past year and a half, she had slowly begun to learn different skills, but she had not wanted to admit to anyone her inability to read, especially when everyone simply expected her to know how. She had all of her documents read to her, and dictated the response. In her rare free moments, she took to the library and read children's books to slowly grow her vocabulary. She'd only recently made it past picture books to a more advanced reading level. But nobody needed to know. She would learn on her own, eventually.

* * *

 _One month later_

Hans was spending most of his time in the stables, mucking out stalls and caring for the horses. He didn't have to. Elsa had him handling relations with Arendelle's tentative trade partners, though she went over everything he wrote with a fine toothed comb to ensure that he wouldn't add anything in. And while she had promised that he wouldn't have to do any manual labor, he found the work oddly calming.

Nobody knew. For all Elsa or Anna knew, he just disappeared for a few hours every day and that was well and good with them. It was a chance for him to get away from the prying eyes and distasteful looks. The mindless work cleared his mind, repetition wearing away the tension of his days. It was the only place he didn't have to deal with the stifling feeling of Elsa's presence, just around the corner. She always watched him so carefully, like she was just waiting for him to slip up and do something awful. It was enough to make him want to scream.

It was better than the Southern Isles in countless ways. But it was still a stressful existence. One that actually made him want the peace and quiet of the stables, the strain on his muscles, relaxing his mind. He was halfway done when that peace and quiet was invaded.

"Kjekk!" Anna's bright voice invaded his sanctuary. The doors flew up and she came flying in in a tornado of chaos and wind. Hans stayed to the stall he was in, hoping she would pass him by without even noticing him.

"Time to go for a ride, boy. Can you ready a sa-" Anna rounded the corner, looking in at Hans and stopping abruptly. He leaned against the pitchfork, tossing his hair out of his eyes. She was standing stock still, staring at him with her mouth hanging open.

"What are you doing here?" It sounded more like an accusation than a question. Anna had gotten a little better about her blatant hate for him, but only a little. Hans just rolled his eyes, going back to pitching the dirty hay from the stall.

"What does it look like, princess?" He asked. He knew that wasn't what she was asking. It probably seemed unthinkable to her that he should lower himself to cleaning out the stables when he could be lounging inside, dodging angry glares. Anna walked forward warily, peering in.

"Well you're cleaning the stalls…" She said.

Hans looked up briefly, raising his eyebrows. "My, you are observant, aren't you?"

She huffed, planting her hands on her hips and looking the picture of indignance. "That's not why I'm confused. You made it clear that manual labor was below you when you came here and claimed that you wouldn't do it."

"And you've been talking to Elsa." He mused. He hadn't said that much to anyone else, just Elsa.

Anna stomped her foot. "Of course, she's my sister. Would you just answer my question?" She demanded angrily.

Hans straightened up again, leaning back on the pitchfork once more. "And what question exactly was that?"

"Uhhh." Anna thought for a moment. "Why are you out here. Cleaning. Doing work that you didn't want to do."

He went back to work. "Easier than being inside. Easier than getting death wishes from you and everyone else with your eyes every time someone looks at me." He said sourly. She wouldn't see it that way, though. He was the evil villain and they were just the poor victims forced to live with him.

"It's not like you don't deserve it."

Hans chunked the pitchfork to the far end of the stall, marching over to where Anna was standing until she took several steps back, fear evident in her eyes.

"Really? Tell me Princess, what exactly did I do that was so awful?" He demanded, ready to snap. He'd had enough. He'd been pushed around by his brothers all his life, and now he was just being pushed around by a new group of people, and he was sick of it.

Anna sputtered, glaring up at him. "You tried to kill me!" She finally shouted up at him, standing on her tip-toes. Hans cocked an eyebrow.

"Did I? Because as I recall, it was Elsa that nearly killed you." He pointed out, starting to get his anger under control. Losing it on Anna would do him no good. He didn't need to yell at her, as much as he wanted to.

"Well, you left me for dead." She shifted, still looking about ready to throw that fist of hers again.

Hans snorted, taking a few steps back and relaxing. "What exactly was I supposed to do? I didn't love you. I wasn't going to save you with true love's kiss. That doesn't exist. Sure, I liked you well enough. But there was nothing I could do to save your life, so I did what I could to make your death swift." He rolled his eyes. Not everything had to be his fault. Sure, he'd done wrong. But he had never tried to kill Anna. None of that had been within his control.

Anna was silent for a long moment, mouth opening and closing as she apparently searched for a reply. She seemed to be at a loss for words, for the first time since he'd ever met her. He smirked. Good, give her something to think about.

"You were cruel. You tricked me into thinking you did love me. You told me that nobody loved me. You tried to kill Elsa. You were...awful." Her voice sounded small, like she couldn't understand how anyone could be like that. Uncomfortable, Hans went and retrieved the pitchfork. He went to the next stall and started working. What could he tell her? But she continued to stand there watching him work, so he finally started to speak again.

"All my life I was subject to pranks by my brothers. I was the runt, the throwaway. I thought I had won, I thought I had the kingdom in the palm of my hand. I had to have somebody know that I had done it. It wasn't some crazy stroke of luck, I was smart enough to get something for myself. It didn't matter if that person died, I needed someone to know that I was more than just a throwaway who couldn't do anything useful." He worked with furious strokes, unsure of why he was sharing so much. It wasn't like she cared. But the words kept coming, spilling out angrily.

"I'd been the butt of so many jokes, I had to see the look on your face when I pulled the biggest of them all. I know you weren't any of my brother's. But I could pretend it was one of them I was betraying, seeing their faces as they realized the same thing I'd always known about myself. _Nobody loved them_. Yes, it was cruel. I only know how to be cruel. As for Elsa, it was the only way I knew how to stop the winter. I never wanted to kill her. I didn't want any blood on my hands. But I had no choice, if I wanted to save Arendelle."

His hands were shaking in anger and adrenaline with sharing something he'd never shared before. He didn't dare look up, only working harder and harder. She never replied. When he finally finished, she was gone.


	7. The Queen Can't Read

**A/N: Alright, I know that Hans went a little soft on himself in the last chapter, but let me clarify a little. That was from his POV. It was how he saw himself, making himself into the victim. Most of it was true, but maybe stretched a little to make his position seem worse. Hans is a bad dude, he's not to the point yet of accepting himself as the bad guy. He's still rationalizing his actions so he doesn't have to feel the guilt for them. Okay, short psycho-analyzing session over, I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't hate me for the way it ends! (Also, thank you for your awesome, encouraging reviews)**

* * *

Her work room was quiet, oddly enough. Usually it was filled with servants and emissaries bringing news. Whether it was of her kingdom or of another, there was rarely such a lull. But she'd hardly had anything all day. Hans was in the other corner, working on something that he'd been writing in for quite some time. Elsa didn't bother to ask him what it was; he would have to show it to her anyway. In the quiet moment, she slipped off her glove and held her hand out.

A delicate snowflake formed above it, growing and changing and pulsing with different colors. For her, it was a simple action. One that was relaxing and peaceful, beyond what she could describe. After so many years of trying to shove down her powers and hide them, it was still incredibly strange to allow herself such a simple pleasure. Two years earlier, she would have feared to simply remove one of her gloves, much less willingly use her powers. But she finally had a rudimentary control over what she could do, even if she still had to be cautious.

"Queen Elsa." Hans' smooth voice interrupted her concentration and the snowflake dissolved into dust. She tucked her hand back into the glove and looked up, setting her hands in her lap.  
"Yes Hans?"

He bowed slightly, a sign of respect. But she saw the smirk on his lips, saying that he cared little for the gesture and it was meant more to mock than respect.

"I've prepared a letter for your trade partners. Would you care to read it?" He offered out the slip of paper and Elsa waved a hand.

"Read it to me. I prefer to hear things." She said, accustomed to making excuses and them being bought without question. But rather than hearing him begin to read, the paper fell on the desk in front of her.

"Actually, I was hoping to hear you read it. You know, evaluate my own work so I can hear the faults in it." He told her. Elsa looked up, clenching her hands tighter so he wouldn't see the slight tremor. His knowing look made her wonder what he had put together. No, he couldn't have. She never allowed a slip. She pushed the paper away.

"Find somebody else to do that work for you. I don't have time to be your proofreader, bring it back to me when it's ready." She said disinterestedly. Turning away, she prayed that he would buy it and leave her be. He stayed.

"I would really prefer to work through it with you. Perhaps it seems to be a trivial thing, but this is for the trade partners of Arendelle. Seems to be something the queen should be very involved in." One of his hands rested on her desk, his voice patronizing with every word. Elsa slid the letter towards him.

"Fine. If you read it, I'll go over it with you. My head hurts from the reading I've already done today." The lie slipped off her tongue easily enough. It sounded real and plausible, even to her ears.

"But Your Majesty, you haven't done any reading today. I've been in here for the greater part of the day and you've had everything read to you. Surely you'd like a turn for yourself." Hans insisted, pushing the paper back. Elsa looked up at him, seeing his expectant look. He knew. He had to. He was just playing with her, making her uncomfortable for his own amusement. He was more observant than she gave him credit for.

"On second thought, I'm going to turn in early tonight. I believe I've done enough and I'm not feeling well. I will see you in the morning, Hans. Please inform the cook that I will not need a place at dinner." She told him, rising to her feet and walking towards the door. His hand caught her arm, stopping her from leaving.

"Unhand me." Elsa turned and told him in a low, angry voice. His hand slowly left her arm, but he took a step closer.

"Does your sister know? I'm sure she would be happy to teach you, you know." He said quietly. As if he was concerned for her privacy, not wanting other people to hear. Elsa raised her head, determined not to give into it if she didn't have to. Surely he could give her that dignity when it was obvious that they both knew.

"Know what? I doubt there's much that Anna can teach me." She said, hands linked politely in front of her, nothing giving away the torrent of emotions she was feeling inside. How could it be that her one enemy, the man that mocked her enough already, would be the only one to put together such a shameful fact about herself? And how would he use it against her?

"Besides how to relax every now and then? She could teach you how to read." He gave her a pointed look. Apparently he wasn't willing to give her that dignity.

Elsa pursed her lips, eyes falling to the ground. "Nobody knows. I am learning on my own, slowly. I prefer to keep it private." Not that he would care to honor that. He took anything he could and used it to help himself. He was selfish and self serving and he only cared for himself. She dreaded to hear what he would do with the information.

"I could teach you."

Her eyes shot back up to his face, searching for the malice. There was none. A hint of laughter, yes. But she saw nothing of anger or conniving in his eyes. Then again, what did she know about reading people? She had spent most of her life in her room, alone. She hadn't even taken meals with others after her parents died. She couldn't judge whether or not he had poor intentions. It was just another thing that irked her about him. Somehow he always managed to see right through her and know what she was thinking, but she could never read him. He was a blank slate.

"What would you get out of it?" She asked warily. She wanted to hear what demands he had, what he wanted to stay silent about her secret. She wanted to know if it would be worth it to keep. Hans smiled down at her.

"You mean time with my wife isn't enough?"

 _My wife._ It was the first time he'd called her that. It sounded strange on his lips, and she wasn't sure that she liked the way it felt. She also wasn't very comfortable with how close he was standing, so she took a step back. He followed.

"You must want something else. It's always about something else, with you." She said stiffly, refusing to take another step back. He would enjoy the fact that he was making her that uncomfortable too much.

Hans raised his hands. "No strings attached this time, Your Highness. Just an honest offer." His smile looked harmless and convincing. But she wasn't about to buy into it so easily. She narrowed her eyes.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

She huffed. "Why offer? If you don't gain anything from it, why would you do it?" She demanded, feeling her patience wear thin. Hans' smile grew wider and he took a small step forward.

"Despite what you may believe, Your Grace, I'm not a heartless beast. Is it so impossible to think I would do something just because it helps somebody else?" His eyebrow raised up in question, his expression so innocent, she almost did feel silly for questioning him. But the past made it too hard for her to let go of it so easily.

"It is. I will think on your offer. Now I will retire for the night, if that is acceptable to you?" She looked up at him, annoyance drawing in every line of her face and body. She didn't need his permission, obviously. She just wanted to make it clear that she did not appreciate being manhandled and he was not her keeper. He only smiled back, offering a slight bow.

"Of course, My Queen. Sleep well."

Elsa turned and hurried from the room, eager to escape his stifling presence. She didn't actually want to sleep just yet, but she was at least alright with missing a meal. Her appetite had been lacking for some time and she had to force herself to eat most o f the time. Her mind was too full of other things, little worries and such for her to think about something as small as food. A night to herself would be good. A night without having to watch Hans eat would be even better. Anna wouldn't be happy about being abandoned, though. With Kristoff off on an ice run (he still insisted on taking those every now and then), her sister wandered the castle in boredom most of the time.

Elsa knew the two shouldn't have been allowed to marry. She knew that as a princess, Anna should have met and been courted by other royalty, married to a prince from another country to create a tie. But Elsa hadn't the heart to force such a thing on her sister. She was the queen, and she had used that power to insist that Anna and Kristoff could marry, no matter what traditions were. She didn't think that Anna fully understood it, though. That was why she had been so upset with Elsa for marrying Hans. To Anna, life was simpler than politics. One married for love, and no other reason.

But life wasn't so simple. It was complicated and messy and only a few were so lucky as Anna and Kristoff to not only find each other, but be allowed to be together. If Elsa had to give up her own chance at love for them, it was an easy sacrifice to make. They deserved to be together. Even if Kristoff did always have a lingering reindeer smell.

Hans had spent plenty of time thinking. He had been suspicious for a while that Elsa couldn't read, but he had never really convinced himself. What queen could get by without actually knowing how to read? But the more he watched her, the more it seemed plausible. She had everything read to her. She rarely wrote, besides to sign her name. She dictated to others what she wanted to say, claiming it was too difficult to write in gloves.

He had to admit, it was a well thought out and cunning deception. Not one person seemed the wiser. He just happened to be someone that liked to notice the little details that so many other people missed. Like the fact that their queen was illiterate. He supposed that it made sense, though. She had lived in seclusion all her life, he remembered reading about her before ever coming to Arendelle. She never left the castle. He did finally know why. As a child, she must have turned away even tutors, keeping her from ever learning. Which meant that all of her manners, her abilities as the queen, her decision making, it was all either taught to her by her parents or instinct. Impressive, really.

And she kept it all to herself. Anna should have put it together. But she wasn't exactly the most observant person he'd ever met. Any peculiarities she just breezed over and continued on with her life. It wasn't necessarily a bad trait, it just meant that she didn't notice all the little things around her. And how many times had heard his mother tell him that the devil was in the details? Hans always loved the details.

Yet he honestly held no ill-intentions towards Elsa or teaching her to read. It seemed only right that the queen knew how to read, and if nobody else knew, that sort of limited her options. And it was rather fun to watch her try and figure him out, ferret out the reason in his gesture. She was quite determined to paint him as the villain in every aspect of her life. Sometimes he just wanted to shake her for it. No, people rarely actually changed. But sometimes a person was more than just a mistake they had made in the past.

It was pointless. He was never going to be anything but evil to the two sisters. Well, it wasn't as if he wanted them as friends. He had only managed to make one friend in the castle. The same guard that had shown him to his room his first day in Arendelle. The man's name was Jasper and surprisingly enough, he shared Hans' distaste for the queen. Of course his was more rooted in distrust of her powers, while Hans had far darker reasons. Still, the subject came up from time to time during their spars.

Hans was an excellent swordsman. As prince, he had been trained in the art from a young age, until he was quite proficient at it. Until even his brothers rarely wanted to have a match with him, crossing blades. It had been his one pride, the one thing he could do better than the rest. Unfortunately, that ability had been sorely underused once he was demoted to the place of a slave and given the most backbreaking and menial tasks. Sparring with Jasper had refreshed the memory and brought him back to his prime quickly. The other man lost most of their matches, yet he continued to fight with Hans.

He supposed, at one point, that it was what friendship felt like. Having little to go on, with no experience in the matter, he could only assume that it was. The two talked, they sparred on a regular basis, and exchanged quips often. As far as he could tell, those were the aspects of a friendship.

"Daydreaming again? It's a wonder you've ever managed to win a match at all with how your mind wanders." Jasper's voice broke through his musings and Hans chortled. He swiped a cool cloth across his brow, wiping away the sweat that had gathered.

"I think you misunderstand what exactly a break is." He replied, looking to the side where Jasper sat. It made him feel a bit better to see that he looked twice as tired as Hans felt and his face was dripping with sweat. Hans tossed the rag at him.

"Clean yourself up, you'll scare the pretty young girls in the castle that you've been chasing after." He told the other with a roll of his eyes.

Jasper caught the towel and wiped his face with it, tossing his hair back. "I suppose you don't have to worry about that, already being married and all."

Hans groaned, shaking his head. "You know that it wasn't my wish to be married to her, I-"

"You had no other choice if you wanted to escape from the Southern Isles, I've heard it a thousand times. The Queen used you as she uses all of us. She's no more fit to rule than the palm reader in town." Jasper said bitterly, tossing the rag aside. Hans looked to the side, giving Jasper a wry look.

"I think you're more upset for me than I am." He said dryly. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he didn't think Elsa was an unfit ruler. She had done well with the hand she'd been dealt, it was her fault that it had been a poor hand to begin with. Not everyone saw it that way.

"Then you ought to be more upset! You of all people know what the Queen is like. I wish you had succeeded in your attempt to take the throne in the first place. Arendelle would be better off in your hands than that witch." Jasper spoke passionately, as he always did in matters of politics. As usual, Hans felt it somewhat uncomfortable to hear such extreme talk, but he never voiced it. He simply nodded and stayed silent. Elsa was many things, but she was no witch.

"What if I told you you could have a second chance at the throne?"

Hans had been tuning him out, but he straightened up and payed attention at the sound of those words. Suddenly things had gone from harmless talk to something very real and very serious, and he was going to pay close attention.

"What do you mean by that?" Hans asked, knowing he had to be very careful. They were speaking of treason, something no person took lightly. He doubted that Jasper was a plant, the man was far too passionate to not mean everything he said. Which meant that he was actually asking Hans about treason.

Jasper glanced around, checking for people, before speaking in a low voice. "I'm with a group of people that doesn't trust that woman to be ruling. We don't want sorcery as the head of the kingdom. There-" He looked around again, hands tapping quickly against his side. "There's been talk of removing her from the throne, but we need someone to take her place. Someone that can step in easily, without much question. I talked to some people, told them you weren't under Elsa's thumb, you think for yourself."

Hans sat still for a long moment. Here, he was being offered everything he'd ever dreamed of. He knew that he would be a good king, he knew it. Ever since he had been a child, he'd wanted to rule over a kingdom, he had dreamt of being an only child so many times. Of his father proudly passing the crown down to him. His father hated him, though. The chance that Jasper was offering him? It was the last chance he would ever have to be king. Elsa would never give that to him, he knew that. He tried to ignore the fact that his stomach churned at the thought of betraying them a second time. Elsa would die. Most likely executed, or burned as a witch for what she was.

"How do you propose to get rid of her? She has magic." Hans pointed out. There was no way a few men could apprehend or kill her. She was too powerful. He ignored the strain of worry to think of Elsa in such a position.

Jasper's voice dropped another octave. "Poison in her food. After that, fire. It has to be the only way to counteract the ice inside of her." He said in a hushed tone. "The princess could be a problem after that, but she can be controlled. What we need is someone that can immediately step in a smooth the situation over. We've been working on getting someone in place, but with you here… It's a perfect storm."

 _A perfect storm._ But there was no assuming that it could work. Hans didn't want to act on anything until he knew how serious it actually was. If they could actually do what Jasper claimed they could. Hans leaned forward.

"I need to know everything. I can't do this if I don't know that it will work. I won't face another humiliating defeat, and I won't go back to the Southern Isles. I have to know this plan is completely foolproof before I agree to anything. Tell me everyone involved."


	8. Forgiveness is a Funny Thing

**A/N: So, lot's of opinions on the last chapter. Now to start, I want remind that this story is only canon to the movie and the book 'A Frozen Heart'. It is in the description, and I haven't read any of the other stuff for the movie. Now, all of you who did not strongly disagree with the bit about Elsa not knowing how to read, feel free to skip over this part.**

 **Alright, I understand the initial pause at the idea of Elsa being illiterate. And I want to make it clear that this is not my official headcanon for Elsa, it's just an idea I came up with and wanted to explore for this specific story. But, it's not quite as far-fetched as most people think, either. In the era they are in, very few people knew how to read. Only priests, physicians, scholars and the occasional nobility. Is it likely that Elsa was taught to read? Yes, she probably would have learned at least some basics. But she probably would have been expected to dictate most of her letters anyway, only ever signing her name. And even if she had learned quite a bit by the time she was eight, lack of practice could have lost her the skill.**

 **It seems reasonable to say that she would still have a tutor, but think about it. She refused to even speak to her sister, obviously didn't like talking to or being around her parents, conversing with a tutor would not have gone well. She might have practiced reading, but she didn't get the gloves until she was older. At that point, reading would have been more difficult and frustrating for her, something that probably would have had bad reactions, gloves or no. The thing is, even for royalty, it's not so highly unlikely to now know how to read. Honestly, the more unlikely thing is how big a deal she's made of it. I don't doubt that she knows how to speak other languages, but reading and writing? No, that's unlikely.**

 **Now as I said, this isn't a hard and fast headcanon I have. It's just an idea that I thought would be fun to explore. It's not the route most people go, but it has some promise. Anyway, thank you guys for your reviews and for keeping me on my toes! Hopefully this chapter won't be too anticlimactic for you.**

* * *

"Queen Elsa." She hardly bothered to look up from the letter she was attempting to read. Most of it seemed gibberish, but she was beginning to pick out more words.

"Speak." She told whoever it was, still paying little attention. She was certain that she almost had a word figured out…

"I wish to give my report for the day." It was Hans' voice, she now recognized, glancing up at the man.

"Oh, yes. I suppose it is that time. Go on then, I'm listening." She set the letter down and turned her attention on Hans, linking her hands in her lap. She set in place that he had to report everything he did in one day to her, just to make sure he wasn't getting into anything. If anything in his report differed from whatever else she heard, she would know that there was trouble. It wasn't a foolproof system, but it reminded him that she was still watching.

The amused glint in his eye told her that he hardly took the practice seriously, yet he continued anyway, never so much as a complaint passing his lips.

"This morning I woke just before sunrise," He began, apparently getting ready for quite a long speech. Elsa let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Hans." She spoke in a warning tone. He gave her an innocent look, eyebrow winging upward in surprise.

"Yes, My Queen?"

Oh, how she had come to hate that mocking tone. "You don't need to be so specific. A simple outline, preferably only about things regarding the kingdom, will do."

He gave a slight bow. "Yes, Your Majesty. An outline, then." He appeared to think for a moment, wandering a few paces to the side.

"I replied to a letter from Weasletown-"

"Wesleton."

"Weasletown, denying any opportunities of trade between them and Arendelle. Of course that letter went under your care, so I'm sure that you've read it and approved it by now. Corona requested a shipment of ice to be sent to them, and I made ready to send that. I spent some amount of personal time to practice my fencing and I think there was something about stopping an assassination attempt on your life. Have a good evening." He turned to leave almost making it out before his last piece truly sunk in.

"Hans, wait!" She called after him, rising to her feet. Jerkily, she reached for her gloves and yanked them on, barely containing the sudden torrent of emotions. Hans came to a stop and turned back around, his expression different from what she was used to. It seemed as though she was seeing him with his guard down, if just for a moment. There was a nervousness in his face, and a brief sadness that spoke of regret. He washed it all away with a blank look.

"My Queen?" He asked her, acting as though he couldn't possibly know what was wrong.

"What did you say about an attempt on my life?" Elsa asked, clenching her hands together. _Conceal._ She was not going to show the streak of emotion. She would now allow fear to overtake at least until she actually knew what he was talking about. For all she knew, he could just be trying to ruffle her, as he always did.

He refused to look her in the eyes. "Did I say that? Yes, now I remember. There was a group of people that don't see you fit as a ruler, wanted me to take the throne, so I reported them to the captain of your guard, who should be preparing a plan now which he will approach you with soon. Don't worry, I made sure I knew all aspects of the plan before I said anything and I learned everyone involved. Your head is safe, Your Majesty."He bowed again, face unreadable.

Elsa dropped back into her chair, suddenly feeling weak. He couldn't be telling the truth. Hans never would have turned down an opportunity to take the throne. She wasn't sure what game he was playing at, but he was trying to twist a rope around her neck and she refused to step into the trap. But what could he possibly be trying to gain?

"Elsa, are you alright?" Her eyes shot up as he took a few steps forward, looking for all the world like he was concerned for her. She didn't miss his momentary lack of propriety, either. He'd called her only by her first name, no Queen before it.

"Why would you give up a chance at the throne? And don't give me a lie about wanting to protect your wife, I'm not that big a fool." She looked up at him, finding that he still wouldn't so much as glance at her. He suddenly seemed terribly interested in a painting on the wall, walking over to look at it.

"I'm not a fool either, Queen Elsa. And neither are your people. They may fear you, but they love you. For me of all people to take it from you would result in much greater unrest than you're seeing even now. Seeing how I got the throne, I would be likely to suffer the same fate, have the throne taken from me by force, by death, because someone believed themselves to be a better ruler. I may want to rule, but I don't want a broken kingdom. Not to mention, my father would not fail to send one of my brothers here to take over the ruling. I would be once again under his thumb, most likely reduced to the status of a slave again. No, your death would be one of the worst ways to gain the throne."

Elsa wasn't sure what to feel, at that. Confused. Using that logic, it was perfectly sensible to think that there was no reason for him to want her dead. But how could she trust him when he proven himself so apt in the art of deception? It wasn't like she had many options. She couldn't just refuse to arrest people that supposedly wanted her dead. She would detain them and question them, and make sure that Hans was under lock and key the entire time. There would be no opportunity for him to be getting into trouble while she was distracted with that.

"I will speak to the Captain of my Guard… You may go…" She still felt dazed from the news, heart sinking. She had hoped her marriage would at least bring some peace to the people under her. But it seemed that no matter what she did, they were determined to hate her. To try and break her. A floorboard squeaked and Elsa looked up, realizing that Hans was still standing there. He finally met her eyes, holding an open look for longer than she'd ever seen.

"Hans?" She questioned, wondering why he was still there.

"Queen Elsa…" He was obviously struggling to say something, and she sat up a little straighter. "These people. When you do bring them in, remember that they do believe they're doing what's right for the kingdom, as well. Don't punish them too harshly for that." He spun on his heel and left the room before she could respond. She wasn't sure if she could have responded, anyway. He knew the punishment for treason, it was death. Of course, he was still alive. But she couldn't quite wrap around Hans feeling pity for anyone. Actually speaking on their behalf. Did they have something else he wanted? There had to be something more going on. It was the only explanation.

Her letter still laid in front of her, unread. Elsa swiped at tears on her cheeks, trying to rid herself of any sign of weakness. _Her kingdom hated her. They wanted her dead._ Oh, how tempting it was still to run away. Leave the kingdom in somebody else's hands and take Anna and leave. Go somewhere where she wasn't known as a queen, she wasn't known as a monster, she wasn't known as anything. But she couldn't leave, not again.

She had to rise. She had to be strong. Elsa called a guard and sent him to fetch the captain. It was time to figure out what exactly Hans had been telling the truth about.

* * *

He was in the stables again. It had been a week since outing Jasper and the rest of his people and Hans still had a sick feeling in his stomach. There was a reason why he didn't have friends. Life hated him. Life destroyed anybody he might even think about caring for. Worst of all, life generally used him to do it. He still hadn't gotten up the guts to go and speak to the man, knowing how poorly it was going to go. Knowing just how angry the man would be.

"Why do you keep coming out here?"

Hans bit back a groan. The last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment was Anna. He didn't need to hear her hatred while he was trying to shut out his own for himself. Some kind of friend he had made.

"To be alone. Away from you and the rest of the insane that inhabit the castle." He growled, refusing to turn and look at her. He was brushing down one of the horses and he chose to concentrate on the stroke of the brush, the steady rhythm of the work. He hoped the terse reply would convince her to leave, but she spoke again.

"The castle does get a bit much sometimes, doesn't it? Do this, do that, don't slide down the hallway in your socks while the servants are carrying precious china. So many rules." Anna went on, as oblivious as always. Hans had actually begun to grow used to it, as she had gotten in the habit of coming out to the stables while he was there and sitting and talking. He wasn't sure why she felt the need to do it, why she would want to talk to him. He had considered for a while that she was just trying to keep an eye on him, but she hardly seemed to be so careful. Elsa kept a good enough watch on him for the both of them.

She also hadn't brought up their first conversation, of him pointing out that he wasn't quite as awful of a person as she claimed. He wasn't sure if she believed it, but it had at least given her something to think about. She wasn't quite so hostile towards him, though she still made her distaste for him very clear. At meals, anytime Elsa wasn't watching Anna would chew up her food and open her mouth at Hans to show him her uneaten meal. Immature, but almost amusing. Her attempts at cruelty were so sad, it was obvious that she had never really experienced anyone tormenting her.

Tuning back in, Hans realized she was still talking. "And don't even get me started on the etiquette lessons Elsa is making me take. Do you know how many rules a princess has to follow? No running, no yelling, no dressing up in one of the suits of armor to scare people as they walk by, it's driving me crazy. And with Kristoff gone, I'm so bored. Which is why I have nothing to do but come out here and get a little fun out of annoying you with talking."

It all clicked into place, finally. She had picked up on the fact that he preferred silence as he worked and her endless stream of words could bother him to no end. He looked over at her, seeing that she wore a perfectly innocent expression. Hans bit back a smile. Anna reminded him of a feral kitten, still small and fluffy, but thinking it was the most vicious thing the world had ever seen. He would never admit it, but it was a cute sight.

"Such a diabolical plan, Princess Anna. But I'm afraid I've grown quite used to your talking by now and I don't know what I would do without it. No possible way to annoy me with it now." He turned back to the horse, covering a smirk as he did. See where Anna went with that.

"Oh good, cause I was actually starting to feel bad about that. I mean, you deserve it and all, but I'm not a super spiteful person, you know? Like, if anyone deserves my spite it's definitely you, but that doesn't mean I can't be the bigger person. Maybe I won't ever be able to forgive you, but I can at least try to be decent to you. Sometimes. I don't know, we can see what happens. But you did just refuse a chance to take the throne and saved Elsa, which had apparently been proven true by the guards. I guess that means I should be somewhat decent to you, at the moment. So I'll sit here and talk, just so you feel comfortable." She beamed over at him and Hans blinked in surprise.

He had started to wonder if she even knew what had happened. He wouldn't have been surprised if Elsa had kept it to herself. But apparently she had chosen to share, for whatever reason. And Anna, in an even stranger turn of events, took it as reason to treat him like an actual person. It was an odd feeling, one that he wasn't sure he liked more than her hatred.

He glanced to the side at her once more. "Anna, I don't think I've ever met someone who thinks so different from me." It was the opposite of what he had once told her, but at least it was more the truth.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll take that as a compliment. I wouldn't want to think like your twisted mind." The words were just as harsh as ever, but Hans heard a lighter tone in them that didn't cut so deep. It didn't hold the cruel edge that his brothers always had, it was more of a teasing sound that made him shake his head. Still, he didn't reply to it, walking slowly to the other side of the horse.

"You like horses, don't you? What was your horse's name, Sitron or something? He was so well trained, must have spent a lot of time with him. That or you had other people train him really well. What happened to him?" She asked.

Hans darkened. "I don't know." He knew perfectly well. Sitron had been given to one of the twins, the one that had driven his last horse to it's death in a foolish race. Sitron was a strong horse, but even he would only be able to take so much. It made his hands clench to think of, his horse who he had been friends with throughout his childhood. Now even the horse was suffering for his mistakes. Anna was silent for a moment. Apparently more observant than he first assumed, realizing that he was upset to think of his old friend.

"So why did you do it?" Anna asked suddenly coming up to the opposite side of the horse, the top of her head barely coming over it's back far enough for him to see her inquisitive eyes. Hans pretended not to know what she was asking about.

"Do what?" He kept brushing, eyes down on his work so he would be less easily read. Yet Anna seemed to be in a surprisingly perceptive mood at the moment.

"You didn't want to betray her again, did you?"

Hans swallowed at her statement. He fell to silence, stomach twisting. Of course it hadn't been that. Everything he said about her kingdom was true, about it being a poor decision to follow along with the plan. He would never be able to hold onto the throne and the country would be thrown into conflict, so even if he did, it would be a perilous time and with little benefits. But it didn't change that the thought of watching Elsa die when he'd never wanted her to in the first place, even when he'd originally tried, it had been too much. He couldn't do it. He couldn't betray her again.

"No." He said quietly, unsure if she would even hear the word.

"I'm sorry." Anna said softly. Hans' head jerked to the side, completely caught off guard by her simple statement. Those were two words he had never thought he would hear from her lips. And rather than the sarcastic look he was expecting, she wore an oddly repentant expression. It worried Hans, making him wonder what exactly he had missed.

"You're...sorry?" He asked, entirely lost.

She gave a small smile. "I let you have too much power over me. I let you make me bitter and angry. But I was the one that let you do that. And I just settled into hating you without ever giving you a chance to be better. Maybe you're not the monster we all feared you were." With that, she darted around the side of the horse and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you for protecting my sister." She was running out before Hans could wipe the kiss from his cheek. He hurried after her, confused and livid.

"Anna!" He shouted. She turned back and smiled.

"I forgive you, Hans." Anna said swiftly, turning and hurrying towards the castle once more. His gut exploded into a ball of emotions and he threw the brush down.

"I don't want your forgiveness!" He yelled after her. "You shouldn't be forgiving me!" He doubted that she heard, and if she did, she showed no sign. Hans kicked the wall angrily, tossed into a blizzard of different emotions. He had never apologized. He didn't want anyone's forgiveness, especially not hers. He didn't want to be friends with her. He didn't need any friends, he'd already proven himself to be a poor friend with Jasper. And he didn't want anyone to think that he actually had a heart, god-forbid. As miserable as his existence was with everyone loathing him, he wasn't sure he would know how to act around someone that had forgiven him. Like he was worth something. He couldn't explain it, it just made him angry.


	9. Ice in the wind

**A/N: Wow guys, your reviews on the last chapter were so awesome! I just want to assure you that Sitron is not going to die, I actually do have some plans for him... However, we won't be hearing about him for a while. That being said, you guys are awesome and I love you! Keep reviewing please!**

* * *

Elsa wasn't sure what had gone on between Anna and Hans. While he was stiffer than ever, refusing to even look her in the eye, Anna had all but stopped her angry outbursts at him, all of her taunting statements. She still teased, but Elsa knew her sister well enough to know that there was no anger behind the remarks. Yet Hans took them all in uncomfortable silence and the occasional harsh retort. It seemed out of character, even for him.

Yet he seemed to be doing plenty that was out of character for him. He turned down a chance at her throne. A chance to get his revenge. He offered to teach her to read. She'd been told by some of the staff that he spent a good deal of his personal time cleaning the stables. None of it made sense to her. She didn't know if he was planning something or if the man was just deranged. Either way, there was definitely something off about him and she knew for a fact that she didn't trust it.

"Care for some help, Queen Elsa?" Speak of the devil.

Flustered, Elsa turned back around so he couldn't see her face. She tugged her gloves back on, hardly keeping herself from icing the smirk right off his face. Every time she turned around, it was 'My Queen', 'Your Majesty', 'Your Grace', 'Your Eminence', 'As you wish' or some other sickening statement laden with sarcasm. Words that normally displayed respect or affection reduced to mockery.

"Is there something you wanted, Prince Hans?" She returned stiffly, gripping her hands together tightly. His own linked together, looking every bit as relaxed and at ease as she was tense and uncomfortable.

"You were trying to read, were you not? I did say that I would help you learn." His head tipped to the side like it was the most obvious answer in the world. He had a way of making her feeling completely ridiculous for the things she said. She set the book aside and looked away.

"This book is above me. I was only pretending to read it." She said quietly. No need to keep up the pretense anymore, she supposed. It wasn't like she could bring all that much more shame to herself, Hans had seen all of her lowest sides. He didn't respond, only stood and wandered a few paces to one of the bookshelves, looking over the different titles. It drew her eyes to him, sweeping over his lean frame. For all his faults, she could not deny that he was a handsome man. But that only added up to another frustrating thing about him.

He pulled a book from the shelf and walked back to the couch, sitting much too close for comfort. "I read this book as a child. The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. It's not too challenging, but it is entertaining. It might be more your level." He offered, holding the book out.

Elsa only eyed him for a moment. She could not understand how he could go from complete mockery one moment to something which appeared to be a perfectly decent gesture the next. She took the book from his hand, flipping it open and turning to the first page. Her eyes swept over it at first, catching a few words here and there, but hardly enough to piece together what was happening. That would take much more time, and she preferred to do that when Hans wasn't around to taunt her. She shut the book.

"Thank you. I will read this when I'm not so busy." She told him formally, with a short bow of her head. Hans rolled his eyes.

"Less busy than pretending to read a book?" He challenged. Elsa fought the blush that rose up. Everyone else she spoke to bought her excuses without argument, but Hans always had to challenge them. Infuriating man. She never would have thought that he could be so impossible when she made the decision to marry him. He reached over and took the book from her hands and slipped closer till their arms were nearly brushing and she could feel the heat coming off of him. He opened the book back up and held it in front of her, the action drawing his hand across her forearm. If he felt the same burning as she from the touch, he showed no sign of it and Elsa refused to pull away and display such weakness.

"Just start reading, alright? Let me know what words you don't know and I'll help you with those. This way I know what level you're at." He told her, looking down at her expectantly.

Elsa swallowed, turning her face quickly to the book. She told herself that it was just nervousness at the thought of reading in front of someone, something she'd never done before. But his presence was overbearing, almost too distracting for her to concentrate. Like every part of her could feel his nearness, shouting at her to move away.

The book. She forced her attention to the book. "The Tales of Flynnigan Rider." She began easily enough. She'd heard him say that much, so she didn't have to work out the pronunciation. The rest… Elsa bit her lip and concentrated.

"A...sw…" Frustrated, she refused to even attempt the word. Not with Hans sitting right there, judging her.

"Swashbuckling." He finished for her. Elsa nodded, refusing to look over at him.

"A swashbuckling...ragu?" She bit down on her lip even harder, knowing that wasn't right.

"Rogue." He answered easily. Elsa nodded, still refusing to look at him. Of course that was it, she should have known that. Angry tears sprung up but she forced them back. The only thing worse than Hans knowing she couldn't read would be him seeing her driven to tears over that fact. One of his hands rested over both of hers.

"Relax. I'm not here to judge you." He said softly. Her hands gave a jerk and he swiftly pulled his away, as though he just remembered who she was.

"What else would you be doing?" Elsa asked harshly, eyes glued to her lap. Hans let out a frustrated sounding sigh.

"I'm trying to help you. Now suck up your self-righteous pride and read the damn book, if you ever want to learn." He snapped angrily. Elsa stiffened, taking the book into her own hands.

"A swashbuckling rogue, and his...many. Ad…"

"Adventures."

"Adventures." She didn't know why she was letting him push her like he was. By all rights, she could be angry with him for speaking to her the way that he did. But maybe a part of her knew that he was right. And she definitely knew that she was never going to learn on her own. That had been failing her for some time.

"Flynnigan Rider...was a...man..w-" She paused over another word.

"Who."

"That's not what it looks like." She protested. Hans gave a low chuckle and she actually glanced up at him. He wore an amused expression, but not the same demeaning look he usually gave her. It still made her glare at him, though.

"Plenty of words don't sound like what they look like." He explained. "You'll just have to trust me. Now go on and say it."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Who." She repeated dryly.

Hans shook his head. "Nope, that's all wrong. You'll have to try again."

She frowned at first. "Who. I know how to pronounce it Hans, I don't need a lesson on that part." She told him in frustration. He grinned down at her and shook his head again.

"No, still wrong. You're really struggling with this word. Here, you have to put your lips together more." He reached up and pushed the corners of her mouth further together.

Her flashed open widely and Elsa felt a streak of cold run through her. She swallowed and Hans pulled his hand away, fingers lingering a moment too long on her skin.

"Forgive me." He said quietly, having the decency to look bashful.

Elsa nodded, snapping the book shut. "I will study this later. Thank you for your help, Hans." She stood, grateful to move away from him. He stood as well, as was expected of any man in a lady's exit, and gave a slight bow.

"I apologize for any discomfort I might have caused you, my queen."

She did not respond, only brushed past him and left the room. She tried her best to never let it show how uncomfortable he could make her, but then he pulled something like that and she couldn't suffer his presence a moment longer. She didn't care if he knew how much he could ruffle her, she could not bear to be in the same room with him. Infuriating man.

* * *

Hans was growing more accustomed to Anna coming into the stables while he was working or just hiding in general. Her presence was slowly fading from bothersome and uncomfortable to something he expected. Her constant chatter in his ear really wasn't so bad anymore. Not that he would ever admit it.

So when he heard footsteps behind him, Hans didn't even bother to turn around. "No matter how many times you try, you're not quiet enough to sneak up on me." He said, rather amused at her constant attempts.

"Oh, if I was trying sneak up on you, you wouldn't hear me coming." The deep voice was not the one that Hans had been expecting. He straightened up and spun around, coming face to face with Kristoff. He still found it rather odd that he wasn't afraid of a woman who could set off an eternal winter, but he was a little...intimidated but the mountain man. Just a little bit.

"I thought you were Anna. She's been coming down here. Of her own accord, of course. I didn't even want her to. Not that she isn't a lovely person. You made an excellent choice in marrying her. I should know, I nearly did so myself." Hans silently groaned to himself. He had never been one to talk nervously. Maybe Anna was rubbing off on him.

Kristoff just crossed his arms and stared him down for a long moment. Hans felt the tension in the air rising by the moment, standing and wondering if he was going to make it out of the stables alive. He somehow doubted that the man was all that pleased with anything that sounded like a friendship between Hans and his wife. And from the way Anna babbled and only looked at the bright side of things, she had probably said that they were the best of friends.

"So you're back from your trip… How did that go?" Hans asked, unable to bear the silence any longer. Kristoff cocked and eyebrow.

"It was good. Lots of ice." He answered simply. Hans nodded. Not much conversation he could make with that. It was obvious that Kristoff had not been raised in a proper society, learning the art of conversing. But, that was mainly taught to nobles and royalty.

"Anna told me you spend most of your free time down here." He said gruffly, not moving from the spot he was standing in, blocking Hans from leaving the stall. Hans nodded uncomfortably.

"Yes. It's more..peaceful." Well, it wasn't peaceful at the moment.

"You find shoveling crap peaceful?"

"Says the man that harvests ice for a living. Even after he marries a princess." The retort came before Hans could stop it. He honestly didn't understand why Kristoff was still working when he had no need to. But he was sure Kristoff would say the same about him.

"I am the official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer." Kristoff tapped a metal insignia that hung around his neck.

Hans gave it a dubious look. "What? That's not a thing."

"Look, the Queen named me it, it's, it's not a thing, no." Kristoff started off strong, voice falling flat by the time he ended and shaking his head. "But it makes her and Anna happy, and I get to get out of the castle every now and then and get back to the ice."

Hans nodded, relaxing a little bit. "You really love ice, don't you?" He liked the cold well enough, but he couldn't quite imagine making a living over backbreaking labor and bone chilling cold that came with ice harvesting. And Kristoff actually seemed to _enjoy_ it.

"Ice is my life. You know, besides Anna now. And Elsa. They have a way of getting under your skin." Kristoff admitted with a shake of his head.

Hans could relate to that. "They certainly do…" He was lost in his own thoughts for a moment, until he felt Kristoff's eyes burning into him and glanced up once more. The stoic mountain man was back to glaring. Or maybe… It looked more like he was trying to decide whether or not to glare. Hans shifted uncomfortably, beginning to realize that Kristoff wasn't just protective of Anna. Elsa was wrapped up in that protectiveness too, and Hans had hurt both of them.

"I offered to get rid of you, you know." Kristoff told him.

Hans swallowed. "And when was that?"

"While I was walking her down the aisle."

Perfect, that just put that picture in his head, of Elsa in her wedding dress looking like the most exquisite thing he'd ever seen. He needed to pull his head out of the clouds already. He wasn't welcome in their tiny family of three, that much had been made perfectly clear. Besides, he wanted no part of it. Family had meant nothing but pain to him. What was important, was the man that was apparently ready to kill him on Elsa's mere word. It did occur to him that she had already given said word, and Kristoff was preparing to follow through with his threat.

"Did she accept your offer?" Hans asked warily, hand grasping where his sword had once hung. With that on his hip, he had been practically invincible. But he wasn't allowed to keep one on him. If it came down to it, he would probably be able to hold his own against Kristoff for a while, at least. If anything, he would last some time. He was used to taking a beating from his brothers, he knew how to take hits.

"Not yet." Kristoff finally said.

Hans breathed a visible sigh of relief. The yet gave him pause, but that was to worry about another time. He wasn't in immediate danger.

"Would you like to try ice harvesting?" Kristoff's next question caught Hans completely by surprise, and his eyebrows rose in question.

"You want me to...harvest ice? With you? Right after you confessed to being willing to kill me for Elsa?" Did the man think he was insane? Or was he just insane? Hans didn't like to be called a coward, but he wasn't a fool either. Kristoff merely nodded, offering no further explanation. Hans gave a weak laugh.

"I'll, um… I'll think about that."


	10. Not so Heartwarming Goodbyes

**A/N: I just want to say again that I really appreciate everyone's support and I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for your reviews and follows. I think everybody will really like this chapter, and since the next one is really long, I'm probably going to wait a while to post it (hopefully get ahead again since you guys are catching up to what I've got written!) Anyway, if anyone has something they'd really like to see happen in this story, feel free to give some input. I can't promise that I'll do it, but if there's any really good ideas I might snap one up :)**

* * *

"Come on Elsa, try it again." Hans' voice sounded anything but patient, even though she knew he had been overly patient with her. But something about having him as her teacher made it even more difficult for her to concentrate. But he seemed quite insistent on it, so every time she made a mistake or stumbled over a word, he was there, breathing on her neck as he leaned over her shoulder.

Elsa stumbled through the sentence again, most of her concentration going towards keeping herself from freezing the book through her gloves. Hans was apparently pleased enough with her pronunciation, and he stepped away again. Half a page and three mistakes later, Elsa couldn't take anymore. She shut the book and set it aside.

"I think that's enough for today." She decided. Hans opened his mouth, looking ready to argue. She sent him an icy glare and his mouth snapped shut.

"Of course. I forget my place." His head nodded in respect to her. Once again with his insolent mockery of respect. His words were smooth enough, his actions flawless. But she caught it in the inflections in his voice, the briefest look in his eye as he turned away. He had not forgotten his place, and saying so was only his reminder to her that he cared little for 'his place'. If it weren't so unladylike, Elsa might have slapped the look off of him.

"It is a common mistake of yours." She said coolly, settling to play his little game of practiced words and veiled jabs.

"Maybe I just think you're cute when you're angry."

Elsa drew back with an affronted look, not sure how to even respond to such blatant mockery. She tried to form a rebuttal, but only found a blush rising to her cheeks. _How dare he!_

Hans laughed. "Yes, that's the look. Your eyebrows pucker and your mouth gapes open, then your cheeks get all flushed, which is all too obvious with your pale skin. Then your nose kind of scrunches up, like a button." He rocked back on his heels, looking far too pleased with himself. Elsa snapped her mouth shut and did her best to smooth her face into an unreadable mask.

"I don't care for your tone, Prince Hans. Please keep from spouting such forward talk in the future." Her hand flicked in a dismissive gesture, telling him he could leave. From the corner of her eye, she could see that he didn't more. Her eyes rose again, seeing that he was looking at her with a rather amused glance.

"Kristoff invited me to go with him on his next trip." He announced.

That caught her attention, and it caught her off guard. She could only wonder what exactly Kristoff was planning, knowing that he probably trusted Hans the least of all of them. And he consistently made threats about Hans to her and Anna. She didn't know whether to warn Hans or encourage him.

"You know that he harvests ice, don't you?" She settled for. Somehow the picture she had of Kristoff in the mountains, working hard labor alone, didn't seem right picturing Hans there as well. She'd hardly ever seen him do anything that could be considered manual labor. Obviously he had, especially in the time that he'd gone home and been sentenced to the life of a slave. Yet rather than laughing off the notion that he would ever do such a thing, Hans just smirked at her.

"Yes, I know what Kristoff does. Obviously it would be a poor decision to go, as he has offered to kill me several times on your behalf. And I'm sure nobody would ever question my disappearance. And really, my family wouldn't care." His hands clasped in front of him as he spoke, and Elsa fumbled for a reply.

 _He knows about that? How can he be so sure that his family won't care?_ Well, she had seen the way they had treated him. Maybe they would only be further grateful to her if Hans were to die under her watch. She was still struggling to find a proper defense, but he looked so incredibly smug that she found herself wanting to say anything that would wipe the look from his face.

"It's alright, Hans. I know you don't wish to do any real work here, you don't have to make excuses. I told Kristoff that you wouldn't want to go." It was her turn for the smug look as she watched his fall from his face. He actually looked conflicted for a moment.

"I've decided to go."

His statement caught her by surprise. Not so much just because he had decided to go, though that was a surprising thought, but because he seemed to decide it merely because she had said that she didn't think he would. Was he really so determined to prove her wrong at every turn? Well, if he wanted to let stubborn pride force him out into the cold to do backbreaking labor for a trip that would last at least a month, more power to him. She would happily remain in the castle and rejoice in his absence.

Though she was slightly worried that Kristoff would do away with him… She would have to speak with him about that before they left. While life without Hans would be more tolerable, she didn't dare give up her good alliance with the Southern Isles, nor the tentative peace that had begun to take hold in the kingdom.

"Your Majesty?" Hans spoke again and Elsa realized that she still hadn't responded to him. She looked away.

"I've no need for you here. If you wish to go, you may." She told him as nonchalantly as possible.

Hans gave a low bow. "Thank you for your leave, You Majesty." He spun on his heels and was gone, leaving only the lingering mocking tone of his voice behind.

Gods, how she hated the man that she called her husband.

* * *

What had he done? He didn't want to go traipsing up some mountain to harvest _blocks of ice_. Why the hell did Arendelle even need an ice harvester anyway? Their queen could make ice with a flick of her hand. She was the Snow Queen!

 _But no,_ he thought as he threw a small amount of belongings into a bag, _have to keep Kristoff in business._ Hans took a step back. His bag was small. Apparently he had to carry whatever he brought, so there was no overpacking. Not that he had all that much, anyway. Sure, he'd been allowed to take some of his old clothes from home so he would have some decent attire, but he wouldn't be wearing those clothes up the north mountain. No, Kristoff had procured some 'better' clothes for him.

They hardly looked better than the slaves rags he'd been forced in his time back in the Southern Isles. But they were thick and warm, and he supposed that was all that mattered. It wasn't like there was anyone to impress on a frozen lake. And it wasn't like there was any point in trying to impress anyone in Arendelle. Maybe it would be good to get away from the castle, though. Away from _her._ Even after all was said and done, she still looked at him like she was expecting him to pull out a sword at any point and try to finish the job.

That would be a terrible way to go about getting rid of her, anyway.

"Is Kristoff gonna kill you?" He hadn't heard Anna walk up. But she was standing in his doorway when he turned around, looking rather bashful. Hans raised a single eyebrow.

"I certainly hope not. But he did tell me that it could be a possibility." Hans shrugged as if he could care less. He didn't particularly wish to die. That didn't mean he was going to let it show.

"I know that he's talked about it. He has lots of ideas, it's kind of disturbing sometimes, actually. Like, Kristoff would have made a really good serial killer, cause he comes up with really good ways to kill people and cover it up. Anyway, I asked him and he said he hadn't decided yet, so I thought I would ask you, since I feel like you would probably know if someone was planning on killing you. You seem to have a good sense of self-preservation like that. Elsa always says that I don't have one of those. Or like, the little voice in the back of your head that tells you when an idea is bad? Well apparently most people have that, but I've never heard voices in my head, because I'm not crazy."

Anna had paraded into his room, against all propriety, in her tirade. She sat down on his bed, another scandalous move, and peered into his bag. Hans sighed. He wasn't sure how there weren't countless scandals clinging to Anna's name for the way she barged around with no thought to etiquette.

"You know you shouldn't be in here." He told her dryly. She waved him off, pulling out one the shirts he had just folded.

"This thing is huge, are you sure it will fit you?"

Hans marched over and snatched the shirt from her hands, swiftly refolding it. "It fits." He told her, shoving it back into the bag. Anna held her hands up in surrender, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, alright, fine. Don't touch the bag. Somebody's grumpy this morning, geez." She stuck her tongue out at him and Hans just shook his head.

"You never answered my question, anyway. Wait, is that why you're grumpy? I swear, if Kristoff is threatening you, you can tell me. I can tell him to leave you alone, and I can tell Elsa to tell him that he doesn't need to kill you. If all else fails, we can smuggle you out. I know this guy in the guard, and we can totally get you out before anyone even realizes it."

Hans fought at the smile that crept up on him. He'd honestly never thought he would hear Anna offering to keep him safe, and the thought was amusing to say the least. He allowed his face to soften from the glare.

"I'll be fine, Anna. So long as Kristoff believes that I'm not here to somehow steal the throne or get my revenge on Elsa, he has no reason to hurt me." He reasoned, hoping that much was true. It sounded good when he said it aloud, at least.

Anna narrowed her eyes. "You're not here for either of those things, are you?" She asked. Hans gave her a dry look. Anna's hands went up once more.

"Can't blame me for making sure. You've been a giant stinkface before, you could pull that out again for all I know."

A long-suffering glare. "Stinkface?"

* * *

It was a tense goodbye. Elsa watched as Anna hung onto Kristoff, doting on him as she reminded him to be careful and started lecturing him on countless different things. She turned back to Hans, still struck by how different he looked in the simple clothes. Kristoff always looked more comfortable when he changed into his rough mountain gear. Hans looked..different. Worlds away from the finely tailored suits she normally saw him in, but not nearly as ragged as the slaves clothes she had seen him in for a brief period.

It was a good look, surprisingly. They didn't fit him quite right, and he kept shifting and tugging at the collar, proving that he had yet to break them in. But it was nice to see him not looking so imposing in his royal clothes. He just looked like a normal man, who actually _felt_ something. Even if that was just discomfort.

"I will see you in a month, I suppose." Elsa said stiffly, unsure of what to say. They stood an awkward distance apart, definitely not what was expected of husband and wife preparing for a long absence. But then, they weren't really husband and wife, were they? A title didn't mean so much between the two of them.

"Give or take." Hans replied in an equally stiff voice. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt, though she hoped she didn't show it as much. Anna interrupted the difficult silence by zipping into the middle and throwing her arms around Hans.

"Be safe, okay?"

Elsa thought no one was more surprised than her by the action, until she saw Hans' face. He looked down at her sister like he had never been hugged before, and she wondered briefly if he had. His hands floated awkwardly at his sides, one of them eventually patting Anna's shoulder while he looked ready to bolt at any moment.

"Okay…"

Elsa moved away, too disturbed by the sight to stay much longer. She had always known Anna to have a forgiving spirit, but apparently she had gone beyond just forgiving Hans. She actually cared about him, which struck a chord of worry in Elsa. But then, Anna cared about everyone. She knew the name of every servant that worked in the castle, it was just the way she was. Elsa tried to quell her worry with those thoughts, but found that some of it still clung.

"You've got your worried face on." Kristoff interrupted her musing. Elsa looked up at him and forced a smile. She would actually miss him. His presence was always steady and reassuring and she could count on him to keep an eye on Anna and keep her from doing any of her really crazy ideas.

"I'll be fine." She told him, patting his arm. He nodded, then leaned down a little to catch her by surprise and wrap her in a hug. Elsa laughed a little, patting his back and taking comfort in the way his huge frame almost entirely enveloped her.

"You know that I don't want you to kill him, right?" Elsa clarified as Kristoff pulled away.

"Of course." His mouth spread into a reasonable smile. He winked at her. Elsa sent him a warning look.

"Kristoff, I mean it. I can't handle the consequences right now if Hans were to die." She told him pointedly, actually finding that she was a little worried.

"I completely understand. There's no way Hans should die in a way that could be questioned as anything but accidental." He grinned again.

"Kristoff! Hans needs to come down from that mountain. _Alive._ "

He winked again. "Alive, right. Coma's are terrible things, too. Awful how you can't speak. Or move. It would be so tragic if something were to happen to Hans he fell into one."

Elsa tried to glare, biting back a smile. "Behave yourself. I expect Hans to return in the same shape that he left in."

Kristoff glanced over at Hans and nodded. "Right. So, puny and an asshole. You realize that means I can't let him do any work, right?"

Elsa swatted his arm. "Oh, go on with you. And watch out for your own skin, while you're at it. Anna would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to you." She told him.

He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Of course she would." He ushered her towards Hans, after that, waving the two of them out.

"Now you two leave for a few minutes while I give my wife a proper goodbye. I know how you are about physical affection, and I don't want to listen to groaning because I kissed her."

Hans rolled his eyes and walked with Elsa outside of the castle courtyard where they had gathered for goodbyes. Once again in awkward silence, Elsa linked her gloved hands together. Her eyes looked everywhere but him, until she heard him clear his throat.

"How about a kiss for good luck?" Hans asked, a familiar smirk on his lips. She made an affronted noise, finally looking at him.

"I don't think so." She scoffed out. He made a tsking noise and stepped closer. Elsa raised her chin defiantly, refusing to let him force her to take a step back.

"Hardly a fitting goodbye for a married couple. It's almost as if we don't even love each other." His voice sounded every bit the part of a doting husband Elsa was certain he was trying for. Like dripping honey.

"We don't." She answered coldly, not in the mood to play his game. _How long were Anna and Kristoff going to take?_ The sooner those two came out, the sooner Hans would have to leave and Elsa would be left in peace.

He took another step closer, hand rising and sweeping across her cheek. "Now that's too bad."

Elsa swatted his hand away, but his other hand caught her wrist and held it tight. He returned his other hand to her cheek, barely brushing his knuckles across it. The action sent cold shivers down her spine and Elsa tried to jerk her hand away. But he was stronger than her and she feared to use her powers because her emotions were rising and she just knew that she would explode into ice if she got too upset.

"Hans." There was warning in her voice as she glared at him. Blood rushed to her cheeks when he completely ignored her and she saw his gaze drop to her lips. She swallowed and tried again to pull away, feeling her pulse pounding in her ears.

"Hans, don't." Because she had never been kissed before, because it was _him_ , because she was absolutely terrified of what was about to happen. But then, she was always terrified.

He shifted closer, hand dropping and curling around the back of her neck to tip her head up. _She was going to kill him._

Then his lips crashed over hers, successfully drowning out all other thoughts besides _him_. Elsa leaned away and he followed, pulling her into him. It took a few seconds, but Elsa felt her arms relaxing, swept up in the moment and the feel of ice flooding her veins. He pulled away just as suddenly, leaving Elsa disoriented and reeling. It was snowing lightly around them.

"I think I got some luck from that." Hans commented smugly, releasing her. Elsa fought to keep from stumbling, eyes shooting the side when she heard the sound of Anna and Kristoff's voices coming closer. hey had finished their goodbye. Which meant that she didn't have time to chastise Hans for his forward actions.

"Your lipstick is smudged." He said quietly, thumb wiping across her bottom lip quickly. Elsa gave him her most withering glare. She wiped at her own mouth, patting her hair, her clothes.

"Hans, wait!" She whispered hurriedly as he began to turn away. Up on her tip toes, she swiped at the lipstick left on his mouth, not wanting to face questions from Kristoff or Anna. She wasn't ready for those questions. Although, it wasn't like she had asked for the kiss. Her thumb paused on his lips, realizing what she was doing. Elsa jerked away, feeling her cheeks flush madly.

"You have some on your lips too." She tucked her hands together, refusing to look up at him again. He chuckled, hand raising to wipe it off.

"I'll see you in a month, Elsa." Kristoff and Anna rounded the corner, keeping her from saying anything else and leaving her with one burning question the entire time she watched Hans and Kristoff leave.

 _Was that the first time he just called me Elsa?_


	11. Cold As Ice

**A/N: Okay, so not really a lot of hype on the last chapter... I know it was a little different, but I can promise that Hans has plenty of humiliation coming up in the future. He hasn't apologized yet, but it will come. Just probably not anytime soon.**

 **Now, this is a really long chapter and I had SO much fun writing it. Hans and Kristoff's relationship is hilarious and I really think has lots of potential. As for Kristoff's character, I adore him. He's a big tough guy with goofy moments and I tried really hard to do justice to that, as hard as it is to write. Please let me know what you think!**

* * *

They trotted along in silence for the first few hours. It was a spacious sled, and the single reindeer seemed to have no problem pulling it. It had taken Hans a bit of time to grow accustomed to the icy wind in his face, but once his nose and cheeks finally went numb, it became sort of refreshing. Kristoff pulled a cloth up over his nose and mouth and tucked his hat to his eyebrows so only his eyes were visible. Very obviously not in the mood to talk.

Hans stretched out as well as he could, searching for a comfortable position. He was still wondering if he had made a very poor decision in kissing Elsa goodbye, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it. He could still feel an icy chill in his lungs and he knew that it wasn't from the mountain air he was breathing in. Elsa was like drinking in that mountain air, the smell of fresh pines and clean, icy wind. It made him feel alive.

Besides, she had a whole month to forget about it. Or at least to stop fuming about it. Hopefully not to just get more worked up about it. Caught up in his own thoughts, Hans didn't realize they were slowing until the sled came to a stop.

"Hope you didn't mind the speed. We like to go fast." Kristoff's voice was muffled under the handkerchief that covered his mouth, but Hans could still understand him.

"Best way to go." Hans agreed. He always preferred galloping when he had Sitron, and the two of them together could outrun anyone, besides perhaps professional racers.

"So what are we doing here?" Hans asked, glancing around. There wasn't anything nearby that he could see, no reason to be stopping. Kristoff had said that the way up took at least a day, so he knew they weren't actually there yet.

"This is where I dump your body. Hand me the pickaxe." Kristoff held out a hand and Hans grasped the pickaxe beside him, holding on without any intention of handing the thing to Kristoff.

"Um…" He really didn't want to die by pickaxe. That had to be in the top ten ways that he didn't want to die.

"Kidding." Kristoff flicked his head towards the woods, leaving the reins draped over the top of the sleigh. "Bathroom break." He informed Hans.

Hans took a look at the line of trees. He sighed. And they were off to a great start.

* * *

The next time they stopped, it was dark. There was a small cabin that Hans could just barely make out in the dark. Kristoff hopped out of the sleigh and started unhooking the reindeer from the front.

"Hans is a lot fatter than Anna."

Hans was caught off guard both by what Kristoff said and the strange voice he said it in, leaning over his reindeer.

"Hey, whoa there Sven, no need to be rude about it." Kristoff replied in his normal voice. Hans raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth from reindeer to man. Was he supposed to be talking for the reindeer?

"But I'm tired from the long trip. And I want my dinner."

"What's the magic word?"

"Please?"

"Alright buddy, let's get you inside and we'll get your dinner."

Hans stepped out of the sleigh, giving both Kristoff and the reindeer a way look. "Um.. You want me to put Sven up for the night? Does he had a stable, or does he just sleep outside?" He asked, choosing to just ignore the entire 'conversation' that had just occurred. Things were getting a little too strange for his liking.

The reindeer's head turned, and Hans could have sworn it gave him an affronted look. Kristoff looked just as upset.

"Sven sleeps inside. I made an especially wide door so that he could get in. Not like there's much inside, anyway. It's just a spot to drop off sleeping supplies and food before we go out for the night."

"We're going out for the night? Shouldn't we rest up for the morning or something?" Hans suggested. He hadn't done much, just sitting in the sleigh all day. But it had made his limbs stiff and the wind had all but sapped his energy. He was ready for a good night's rest before anything else. Besides, it was already dark, how much could they actually do?

Kristoff laughed. "It's just beginning. Now is the perfect time to get out there and create an ice channel. It's less likely to freeze back over during the day, so we'll get in a few hours tomorrow. Time is a precious commodity from here on out." He threw a couple packs over his shoulder and started walking towards the cabin. "Get your stuff out of the sleigh. We need the space on there and Sven needs all his energy. We'll stop and eat something real quick, put Sven's ice shoes on, then it's off to work."

Hans grabbed a the two bags of food from the back, lugging them towards the cabin reluctantly. He was very quickly beginning to think that he had made a terrible mistake in deciding to come with Kristoff.

* * *

Hans had never been so cold. Or so tired. The sun was finally beginning to rise in the distance, and he could only pray that meant they would be going back to the cabin for some rest. But Kristoff just kept going, sawing at the ice. It had been a long process of clearing the snow off of the frozen lake. Then they had to cut lines into the ice. Then an ice plow attached to Sven had cut through about half the thickness of it, and finally they were working on cutting all the way through it. Finally, they had a long strip leading up to the shore that they would be able to push ice through in order to pull it out.

Now they were cutting the ice that was still left in the channel into blocks. Hans had long given up on trying to talk, though Kristoff had sung a few songs intermittently through the night. One last stroke and the final block of ice was free. Hans stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief, his muscles aching in protest of the impossibly hard work.

"Let's get them out of there, now." Kristoff said, marching over to put the ice saw back in the sleigh. He pulled out a bundle of thick rope, an odd looking pulley system and a couple pairs of tongs and called Sven over.

"We have to harness the ice, then Sven will help pull it out will a pulley system. From there, we'll cut it into smaller blocks and stack it in the sleigh. We'll drop it off back at the cabin and get a few hours of sleep hopefully before the sun sets. All depends on how fast we get this done." In what seemed to be a second thought, Kristoff reached back into the sleigh and grabbed a couple biscuits, one of which he tossed at Hans.

"Eat that and get something to drink. It's way too easy to get dehydrated up here in the cold. Most people worry about the heat, but it's the cold that can get you before you realize it." He ordered.

Hans didn't give him time to change his mind. He practically fell into a sitting position on the ice, polishing off the biscuit in a few quick bites and then grabbing the flask Kristoff tossed at him and drinking down the water. It was icy cold and hurt his throat to drink too quickly, but he did anyway. He was too tired to say much beyond a muttered thanks, refusing to get up from his spot until Kristoff forced him to. Surely, surely the man was just testing him. There was no way that ice harvesting was always so brutal, he wouldn't able to do it alone if that were the case.

Yet, the other man seemed perfectly at ease with the lack of sleep and harsh conditions. Hans hadn't caught him stretching or rubbing at sore muscles like he constantly was. It would explain why Kristoff's shoulders were as wide as Sven's. But it didn't explain why he chose to still harvest ice, because there was no possible way that anybody could ever enjoy the work that they had been doing.

"Let's get back at it!" Dammit if his voice didn't actually sound cheerful. Hans muttered a curse under his breath, pushing to his feet. Well, this would be the last trip he would make outside of the castle in a long time. He never should have accepted this one.

Except when he thought of that, he thought of Elsa's smug look as she told him that she didn't think he would do it. That she thought he wouldn't want to do that hard work. Memory of that look drove him to his feet and Hans nodded.

"Back to work."

* * *

 _"Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining, this icy force both foul and fair has a frozen heart worth mining."_

It was about the third time Kristoff had sung the same song, but Hans didn't mind too much. It was a break from the monotony of the silence and helped him fight the sleep. Hands gripped around a rough rope as Hans gave a tug and called for Sven to pull. He was finally getting used to the motion of pulling ice from the lake. It had to be fast and efficient, and very strong. He then pushed them to Kristoff, who cut them into smaller blocks and stacked them into the sleigh.

Hans missed the snapping sound in the air as he tugged another block out. He was standing almost completely under it now, getting ready to lower it down.

"Whoa! Move!"

Before Hans could even respond to the shouted words, a hand on his arm yanked him to the side and the block of ice came crashing down. It shattered into several pieces, leaving a healthy dent in the ice below it. It would have crushed Hans had he still been standing under it. Kristoff yanked him, shocked and dazed, to his feet, holding him by the front of his shirt.

"You always check the rope!" The man shouted angrily. "Always check the rope before you start pulling, or it will get you killed. This place has no mercy and it doesn't care who you are or what you've done or who you've got waiting on you, it will kill you."

Hans' wide eyes were flicking back and forth from Kristoff's angry face, to the spot where he should have been lying dead. Well, that answered his question on whether or not Kristoff was trying to kill him.

"I didn't think.." He finally managed. Kristoff dropped his hand and Hans stumbled a few feet back, too tired to really catch himself.

"Not thinking here will get you killed. You've got a brain, use it. I don't make a habit of saving men that once broke my wife's heart." He stalked off, picking his ax back up and going back to splitting apart the blocks of ice still left out. Hans shakily returned to his own post, pulling out a new rope and checking over it carefully. Obviously Kristoff had seen some lost in his line of work. It was the way to explain his sudden and explosive anger about it. Hans wondered if it had been somebody close to him.

 _"So cut through the heart, cold and clear. Strike for love and strike for fear. There's beauty and there's danger here…"_

* * *

It was early afternoon when Hans was finally allowed to sink into the thin cot in the corner of Kristoff's cabin. He was sure that under any other circumstances, he would have complained about the way he felt springs sticking into his side, or that the cloth over it was a scratchy wool. As it was, it felt like the softest thing he had ever lain on.

And seeing Kristoff settling on the floor to give him the cot was enough to keep his mouth shut of any complaints. The reindeer settled on the floor beside him and Kristoff pulled out a lute, starting to play on it lightly as he leaned back against a pile of hay.

 _"Reindeers are better than people. Sven, don't you think that's true?"_

The start of the song drew a chuckle from Hans. Then Kristoff switched his Sven voice, something he was slowly getting used to.

 _"Not Anna or Elsa, even Hans sometimes, and especially not you."_

Kristoff patted Sven's side briefly and Hans rolled his eyes.

 _"So we might have been wrong at one point...But I think it's safe to assume-"_

 _"Hans can't be trusted, and we'll toss him in the ice once we've gotten our use."_

Hans shifted to give him a dry, annoyed glance. Kristoff hooked a thumb to point at Sven, feigning an innocent look.

"He said it, not me. Sven, harsh turn there." Kristoff tsked and shook his head. Hans let his arm rest over his eyes to shut out the light, feeling himself start to drift.

 _"Fine then, let's call it a night."_

 _"Goodnight."_

 _"Don't let the frostbite, bite."_

The song faded to silence and Hans was asleep within seconds.

* * *

No more than four hours later, Kristoff shook him awake. They started the process all over again, working out from the center of the lake and sending blocks of ice down the channel they had created the day before. Days blended together liked that, working through the nights with lanterns and into the morning. Sleep was short but heavy, and Hans slowly found himself changing. He had already been a well-built, strong man, but his shoulders still grew wider. The ice began getting lighter, and he wasn't so painfully sore all the time.

Conversations were rare and short, but he began to appreciate Kristoff's dry wit. Topics varied from weather, to ice, to the occasional serious topic. Hans spoke briefly about his family, his father's distance and his countless brothers.

"Family is never to be taken lightly." Kristoff snapped in reply. It caused Hans to look up in surprise, unused to that tone.

"Where is your family?" He found himself asking, suddenly realizing just how little he knew about the man he had been working with. Kristoff took a long moment to respond, ax swinging with a solid thunk and breaking apart the block of ice in front of him.

"Dead." He responded shortly. "Mother died in childbirth, father died out here somewhere. Told you, ice doesn't care if you've got someone waiting on you." He swung again and Hans turned back to his own work, taking that as the end of the conversation. He didn't know what to say to that anyway.

The next serious conversation broached had Hans as the uncomfortable one. They had been working in silence for several hours when Kristoff spoke up.

"So what's up with you and Elsa, anyway?"

Hans glanced over. "We're married?" He tried, unsure of what else to say. "Oh, and she also hates me. Understandably so.."

"Right. But that was kind of an interesting goodbye."

Hans turned sharply, leaving what he was doing. "What do you mean by that? We hardly said a goodbye." His eyes narrowed, wondering what exactly Kristoff had seen.

"Yeah, hardly said a goodbye…" He trailed off, giving Hans a pointed look.

Hans groaned, realizing that Kristoff and Anna must have come out of the courtyard before him and Elsa realized it. He pitied Elsa more, having to hear Anna go on about it.

"Anna didn't see anything. If that's what you're worried about." Kristoff said before Hans could ask anything.

"It was nothing." Hans snapped.

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me." Kristoff shrugged, continuing to try and break through the ice. Hans grunted, going back to his own section.

"What, are you some kind of expert on these things?" He asked, tone thick with sarcasm. Sure, Kristoff was the one of the two of them that actually had a successful marriage, but that was just pure luck. Anybody could get along with Anna.

"No." Kristoff answered again, looking a little more uncomfortable. "But I have friends that are."

"You have friends apart from Elsa and Anna? I find that hard to believe." From everything he had seen, Kristoff was a loner. He avoided people at all costs, went on about how awful most people were and how they would cheat you if they had a chance. That didn't sound like someone who had a big group of friends.

"Okay, I think it's time to go back to work."

The rest of the day passed in silence. They avoided more serious subjects after that, sticking to surface things.

* * *

Hans finally felt that he was getting his footing on the ice after three weeks of the work. He knew enough to keep ropes from fraying on the pulley, to hit the blocks right and keep them from shattering, to see sections of of fragile ice and steer clear of those spots.

He knew enough to recognize the sound of ice cracking, catch sight of cracked veins running through it, towards Kristoff off a few yards.

"Stay back!" The man shouted, throwing out a hand to warn Hans off. Hans inched forward, ignoring the warning. There were no clear signs of cracking under his feet, the ice was still too thick where he was at for that.

"Hans, move away." Kristoff ordered, arms spread out as he looked around. He didn't have the rope around his stomach as usual. Hans did, he didn't know how Kristoff had forgotten his.

"I'm a prince, you can't tell me what to do." He replied snarkily, still inching forward slowly. He wasn't too far away now, only a few feet more and he would be able to reach Kristoff. The other man took a cautious step towards him as well, and spiderwebs spread out from his feet.

"Hans, this is going to go at any minute. You need to back up. We can't both go in."

"No we can't." Hans agreed. He took the last step, reaching out and grabbing Kristoff by the arm, gathering up enough strength to throw him to the side. Kristoff skidded to a stop several yards away, just as the ice below Han's feet gave away.

* * *

 _"Hans!"_ Something sharp bit into his waist. Hans tried to convince his arms to move, but everything felt numb. His eyes turned up to the light above him, concentrating on that, even as everything started to go numb. He kicked weakly, feeling himself pull to the surface, where broken ice was scattered and crashing together.

 _"Hans!"_ He broke through the surface, gasping for air. Cold cut through him like a knife, and Hans scrabbled for a hand hold on the smooth piece of ice nearest to him. He dunked back below the water, slipping off. Something tugged insistently at his waist, yanking him up again.

"Don't you go under again!" Kristoff's harsh voice reminded Hans what was keeping him up. He still had a rope around his waist, keeping him from drifting back down and pulling him to solid ice. He reached the edge of ice still in tact with the rest, hefting himself up. It cracked again and he was dumped back into the water. Kristoff kept pulling. Hans tried again, finally managing to pull himself up onto the surface. He dragged himself forward, staying low until he reached a more solid spot, where he collapsed and shut his eyes.

"Oh no, you don't get to sleep yet." Kristoff slapped his cheeks, pulling him to his feet. Hans stumbled, but let the other man drag him to the edge of the lake and toss him into the snow.

"Strip down, pat yourself with the snow to dry off. I'll get dry clothes from the sleigh." He ordered, disappearing as soon as he spoke the order. Hans reluctantly peeled the wet clothes off of him, body wracked with shivers as the cold set in. He did as he was told, as insane as it sounded. But he couldn't actually get any colder, at least. A stack of clothes hit him in the head and he heard Kristoff shout,

"Put those one, I'm going to get a fire going."

Hans clumsily jerked the dry clothes on, fingers too numb to tighten the laces on his boots or fasten the buttons on his jacket. But he had clothes on, and that would have to be enough for the moment. He fell back into the snow, eyes shutting once more.

"Dammit, stop that!" Kristoff interrupted his nap again, pulling him to his feet and dragging him away. He dropped him in front of a small, crackling fire on the edge of the lake.

"You stay awake. I gotta get more firewood." Kristoff darted off again and Hans crawled as close to the fire as he dared, slowly stretching out his numb fingers towards it. He gasped with pain as the action sent burning pain up his arms, but kept them there anyway. Kristoff came back a few times, throwing more wood on the fire until it roared to a higher blaze and Hans was forced further back. He fought sleep as hard as he could, dimly watching as Kristoff hurried around, moving different things around. Finally, he came back, hauling Hans up and practically throwing him over his shoulder.

"Come on, time to go." He said, throwing him into the back of the sleigh. Instead of the ice that was normally there, there was a pile of blankets that he landed on. A few more were tossed overtop of him, then Kristoff disappeared again. With a loud, yah!, the sleigh rocked into motion. Hans tried and failed to keep his eyes open. He shivered under the blankets, still feeling the biting cold reach through them. Darkness came, black as the water he'd just been pulled from.

* * *

He was warm, when he woke again. The events of the day caught up with him in fragments, but Hans could remember throwing Kristoff out of the way, then falling into the ice himself. He remembered a fire, then riding in the sleigh. After that was blank. Hans pushed himself up, eyes adjusting to the darkness around him.

It wasn't Kristoff's cabin, like he had been expecting. Everything around him was dirt, and steam rose from the floor. Some light was let in from a tunnel that seemed to lead up, away from the small room he was in. He had to be in some underground room, as far as he could tell. Hans pushed unsteadily to his feet, taking a few precautionary steps forward. His legs seemed to work alright, though he was a bit wobbly.

He could hear voices outside, so Hans pushed towards them. He stepped out unnoticed at first, staring out and blinking to let his eyes adjust back to the light. Little stone people surrounded Kristoff, all of them talking at once. Was he still asleep, dreaming? Maybe hallucinating? He'd heard tales of such creatures, but never actually believed in them.

"Trolls…" Hans muttered quietly. He laughed in his own incredulity. "They're trolls." He repeated, still convinced that he was going crazy. Odd little squat people with big ears and noses, covered with moss clothing and shifting in and out of stone shapes. And almost all of them turned to look at him.

"You! You big bully!"

Hans looked down at his side where a...snowman? Was attempting to pummel him. His mouth gaped open, more certain than ever that he was losing his mind. Well, he flashed back to after he'd woken up the last time he'd been in Arendelle, before Anna punched him. He thought he remembered seeing a snowman standing beside Elsa, but he hadn't been sure. Of course he had actually battled one of her creations, but this little thing wasn't anything like the giant snow beast he had fought.

"Olaf, leave Hans alone." Kristoff walked up, pushing the snowman away.

"He left Anna to die!" Olaf protested, angrily straining around Kristoff.

"Yeah well, he also just save my life, so we're gonna give him a little slack alright?"

Hans was too busy trying to figure out the way it worked to defend himself, or to wonder why he had saved Kristoff in the first place. Olaf did calm down at that, though. But the snowman kept a wary eye on him, waddling a few paces away.

"Fine," He said, arms crossed. "But if he tries anything…"

Kristoff rolled his eyes, walking up beside Hans. "Everyone, this is Hans. Hans, this is...my family."

Hans cast a skeptical glance at Kristoff, but was cut off before he could say or ask anything. Trolls rolled over and surrounded him, stacking up on top of each other to get eye to eye with him.

"So this is Hans?"

"He's the one that tried to take the kingdom?"

"And left Anna alone?"

Hans took a step back, tripping over one of them behind him. Okay, things weren't going as well as he would have liked, and he hadn't even said anything to them yet. Of course he was still trying to get his head around the fact that there were trolls living in Arendelle and they were apparently Kristoff's family and they lived with a walking talking snowman. All of that together made Hans want to go back to sleep.

"Guys, give the man some space. He just nearly froze to death, can we try to act a little normal?" Kristoff broke in.

"Pick me up!" One of the smaller ones practically threw itself at Hans. He barely managed to catch it, nearly toppling forward with the sudden weight. They were a lot heavier than he expected.

"Me too!" Another little one jumped up and grabbed onto Hans' arm, making him sway to the side a bit.

"It's um..nice to meet you all." Hans got out, handing the rocks off to Kristoff who set them on the ground again. A tower of three trolls formed in front of him, the one on top leaning a little too close for comfort. Hans leaned back as far as he could without actually falling over.

"So what are you doing here, Prince Hans?" She asked. She didn't necessarily seem angry, just mainly inquisitive. Hans' mind went blank for a moment.

"Uh… I'm married to Elsa."

A collective chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd of trolls. Kristoff groaned, shaking his head. Every eye in the place was suddenly fixed on him.

"Is this the part where I run?" Hans whispered over to Kristoff. The other man just shrugged.

"There's no use."

"So first you try and marry Anna, and when that doesn't work, you come back for Elsa!" One of them shouted.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Hans held out his hands, ready to defend himself. "Look, she asked me-"

"He's still trying to take over Arendelle!"

"Hey, I didn't-"

"Are you going to try to kill Elsa again?"

"That's definitely not-"

"Did you threaten her to get her to marry you?"

"I wouldn't have to-"

There was a small tug on his pants, making Hans look down at one that was obviously still a child, looking up at him with inquisitive eyes.

"Did you marry her for true love?" He asked. The rest of them fell into silence, and Hans knelt down, smiling briefly.

"I married her so that the Southern Isles would make an alliance with Arendelle. Elsa won't ever love me." He admitted, finding that the words did sting a little.

"See guys? Hans has changed." Kristoff cut in briefly. The-trollwoman?- that had first spoken to Hans made a dismissive noise and waved her hand.

"People don't really change."

"Well that's not true." Hans blurted out the protest, trying to ignore the fact that he was literally arguing with a rock. She turned back to him and suddenly they were all staring at him again. Hans got the feeling that people didn't really contradict them often. He would definitely need something to back up his idea.

"Kristoff isn't a solitary mountain man who hates all people now, he likes Elsa and Anna. Elsa isn't locked up in her room constantly anymore, and her and Anna are friends again. Anna is, well Anna's pretty much the same. The point is, I've seen a lot of people change, so I know that it's not impossible." It wasn't his most winning argument, but it would have to do. The trollwoman took a few steps closer, hands on her hips as she eyed him.

"And have you changed, Prince Hans?" She challenged.

Hans paused, unsure of how to respond His mind flicked over recent events, wondering if they meant that he was changing. Yes, he regretted what he had done the first time he came to Arendelle. But was that just because he got caught or for deeper reasons? He didn't think he would try something like that again, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was better or just because he'd gotten smarter. Or maybe he just lacked the motivation, now.

"Do you think he would have taken a dunk in the ice to save my life if he hadn't changed?" Kristoff spoke up, butting into the conversation.

"Not like I could get down off this mountain with you dead." Hans crossed his arms and protested on instinct. He glanced back at the accusing face of the trollwoman and coughed uncomfortably. So he hadn't changed a lot. But maybe a little?

"I think I'm starting to…" He tried. That was apparently enough, because her face split into a smile and she held her arms out.

"Then welcome to the family!"

* * *

They stayed there for the day, and Hans slept a few more hours. He could have slept a week had Kristoff let him, but the man announced that they needed to go. He gave Hans the choice of whether or not they should go straight back to castle for him to recover, or return for their crop of ice. The second option added a day or two and meant that Hans would have to push his body even further and help load all of the ice they had harvested over the three and half weeks they had been by the frozen lake.

He wanted to choose the first. Every one of his muscles ached and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for at least two weeks and eat some good food again. Kristoff's cooking wasn't anything to boast about, if he ever actually cooked. Mainly it was hardtack and water, sometimes some watery coffee. Kristoff had actually pushed him harder than he had even been pushed working for his brothers back home, but he didn't feel quite so bitter about it. At least he had seen that the other man was working even harder than him.

For that, he had to pick the second option. It was only an hour or two back up to Kristoff's cabin, but that was enough to set the cold back into Hans' bones. He'd developed a cough already, as hard as he tried to hide it. His throat burned every time he tried to swallow and his head felt thick and heavy. But he kept it all to himself, refusing to be the reason they lost everything that they had killed themselves for three weeks to get. Forget the fact that the kingdom didn't actually need it and Elsa could actually create more than enough ice for Arendelle. But he was beginning to understand why Kristoff still insisted on working.

It was dark by the time they got back. Hans' limbs were stiff and heavy and he felt dizzy, but he followed Kristoff to work. First they got what was left from the lake, then took the short trip back to the cabin where the bulk of it was left. Hans helped with about half the load before Kristoff ordered him inside, saying that he was only getting in the way. Hans' protests died on his lips before they ever got out and he trudged back to the cabin.

* * *

He had to ride in the front on the way back to Arendelle. Sven was forced to go about half the speed, with such a large load on the back. Hans pulled as many blankets as he could over himself, trying to block out the cold mountain air. Kristoff was back to silence, his handkerchief pulled up over his mouth and his ancient hat pulled down. Hans was grateful for that, he wasn't up for much conversation.

He drifted in and out of consciousness the whole way, having strange dreams of ice monsters and small snowmen trying to destroy him, while Elsa paced in the distance, wringing her hands and pleading with him to watch after Anna. He wasn't really sure how much time had passed by the time Arendelle came into view, but he did notice that Kristoff had a growing look of worry on his face every time he looked over. He urged Sven on, shouting for the reindeer to go faster.

Hans shut his eyes again, still shivering even though the temperature was significantly warmer back in the valley that Arendelle rested in. He could feel them slow again when they pulled into the town. The sun had rose some time earlier, hanging high in the sky by the time they reached the castle. Kristoff called for the gates to be opened and Hans struggled up into a straighter position. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but he still felt cold.

"I think we'd better get you inside pretty quick." Kristoff said, hopping out of the sleigh. Hans climbed down a little more carefully, keeping a hand on the side of the sleigh to keep himself steady.

"I'm fine." He said, swaying a bit. "I just need to sleep. For a year."


	12. A Little Hoarse

**A/N: Alright, so I should warn you guys that you have officially caught up with me and what I've got written... I'm going to try to keep my schedule of posting once a week, but I may slip a few times :/ Please be patient with me, I promise I'm going to finish this story!There's plenty of cuteness in this chapter, because I kind of love the idea of Hans and Anna becoming good friends. I know it may seem a little quick, but I see Anna as the type of person that either hates someone with everything in her, or loves them like they're her best friend, and there's really no in-between for her. Also, we'll be seeing the reappearance of an old friend that I think will make everyone happy! Enjoy, and thank you for your feedback, it keeps me going!**

* * *

Elsa had been watching from her window for days. It hadn't been a month yet and Kristoff hardly ever returned early from his trips. Not to mention the fact that she had never watched for his return before. But she found herself sitting by the window anyway, hand occasionally pressing against the warm glass and making frost spiral out from her touch. It had been good to finally have the time alone with her sister, but Anna had been missing Kristoff. He rarely took two trips so close together and Elsa could tell that the distance was dragging Anna down.

Of course Anna had tried to distract herself by talking to Elsa about Hans. Or maybe talking at Elsa about Hans. She had done her best to avoid the subject, skirting around it, changing, or altogether leaving the room. She knew that Anna could catch up to her eventually, but if she could hold out until Hans and Kristoff returned, it would be much harder to get pinned down. At least, she could hope.

It was three days away from a month and Elsa was hoping that the distance was wearing on Kristoff as much as it was on Anna. She watched different carriages and sleighs come through Arendelle, watching them go through the city and turn off at different points, rarely making it to the castle to drop off goods. She could only make out spots in the distance of the different forms of transport coming up the road into town, and lost track of most of them in the growing town below.

She dozed off some, until the sound of the gates opening jarred her awake. She expected to see another vendor coming in to drop off supplies. To her surprise, she saw Kristoff's unmistakable green sleigh gliding in. A load of ice was piled on the back and a strange man sat beside Kristoff in the front. Elsa didn't pause to wonder, rushing from her room towards Anna's. Her sister was already racing from her room, nearly tumbling in the hall with her haste.

"Kristoff's home!" She yelled, running past Elsa and grabbing her hand to drag her along. "He's finally home, I thought he would never make it back this time but he's finally here!" Anna came to a dead stop and Elsa nearly lost her footing as she was tugged to a halt as well.

"Do I look okay?" Anna asked, reaching up to pat her slipping bun. Elsa afforded her an affectionate smile, brushing a wisp of hair from Anna's face.

"You look fine, Anna. Just go."

Anna laughed and squeezed Elsa's hand before breaking into a sprint again. Elsa followed being a little more slowly, refusing to be seen racing through the castle. She was the queen, after all. Still, she reached the courtyard not long after Anna, seeing her sister practically throw herself into Kristoff's arms.

Elsa turned away when the two kissed, rolling her eyes. She looked to the stranger with his back to her. As soon as she actually saw him, she knew that it was Hans. His shoulders had widened and the different clothes still distracted her. But his unmistakable red hair gave him away.

"You look different." She commented. He nearly fell over as he turned to face her, and Elsa reacted on instinct, stepping forward to take hold of his arm. He shivered, but offered a weak smile.

"Good to see you too, My Queen." His voice sounded strained and tense, making Elsa's worry level rise. He looked a mere step away from death with a pale and ashen face and dull, tired eyes. She couldn't find a hint of mockery in his tone, and she was convinced it was because he was too tired to care. She turned to look at Kristoff, who was starting towards them looking as worried as she felt.

"He needs to get inside. Can you lower his temperature? He's burning up right now." Kristoff's worried voice assured Elsa that he hadn't orchestrated an event to put Hans in the state he was in. It didn't help her to figure out what exactly had happened, but she could figure that out later. Hans pushed her hands away.

"Later. We have to unload the ice." He protested.

"Hans!" Anna pushed in and all but shrieked. "You are in no condition to be unloading ice!"She reached in and grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of the castle.

"She's right." Kristoff agreed behind her, arms crossed over his chest. "I'll take care of the ice, you need to get some rest before you die from exposure." He pointed a finger at Hans. "Argue with me again and I kill you."

Hans shook his head. "That threat is getting a little old." He muttered, but allowed himself to be pulled towards the castle. Elsa was torn between watching Anna and him move away and going with Kristoff to talk with him. She lingered for a moment with Kristoff, casting worried glances towards Anna and Hans. Well, she was only worried because she couldn't have him dying on her, and they had plenty of excellent physicians to keep that from happening. She turned to Kristoff.

"What happened?" The question came out more harshly than she originally planned, but there was no taking back the words once they left her mouth. Kristoff looked down at her, running a hand down his face. He shrugged.

"Hans saved my life." He answered her, stirring up only more questions. Hundreds of things to ask raced through her head, but she could only form one question to spit out at him.

"What?" Well, it wasn't the most well put together question, but it was all her surprise would afford her for the moment.

"I was on thin ice and I didn't have the rope around my waist. If I had fallen in, I wouldn't been standing here now. He tossed me out of the way and fell in himself. Got him warmed up best I could and he insisted on still getting the load. He's got a lot more in him than I originally thought." Kristoff turned away and Elsa was left with a stomach flipping with different emotions. Hans had saved Kristoff? Hans had put his own life in danger to save her brother-in-law. No, there had to be some ulterior motive there, something that he was after. He was just looking to gain their trust so he could betray them.

"Kristoff?" Elsa followed the man around to the back of the sleigh, still caught up on everything that was wrong with the story he told. He just waved her away.

"You should go and check on him. He is supposed to be your husband, after all." He gave her a pointed look and Elsa shut her mouth against any of the protests that came to mind. It didn't matter if she hated Hans, it was still her place to keep an eye on him and Kristoff of all people shouldn't have had to remind her of that. She nodded.

"Thank you for bringing him home whole and alive." That was about all she could thank him for, though apparently it had been a harder task than she assumed it would be. She would drag the rest of the story from Kristoff later and perhaps even ask to hear it from Hans. He would probably embellish it on his own behalf, making himself to sound like the hailing hero. Well, he had saved Kristoff, and that was worth something. Elsa looked up at the big mountain man and wondered what she would do without his steady presence. She took a moment to wrap her arms around him in a rare hug.

"Thank you for coming home whole and alive." She said quietly, feeling him return the hug and practically lift her off the ground.

"You think I would leave you and Anna to your own devices? Arendelle would be a mess if there wasn't somebody around to keep you two in check." He let go of her and Elsa took a step back, giving a wry smile.

"You mean we might actually get some things done around here?" She teased back, shaking her head briefly and rolling her eyes. Kristoff smiled back at her, but just flicked his head in the direction of the castle.

"You should go. You might be able to help the physicians with Hans. Granpappie did all he could, but he's still going to need to recover."

Elsa finally nodded, though she would have rathered staying outside. She reluctantly turned towards the castle and made her way inside, heading towards the chambers of the royal physician. Hans would most likely be staying with him for the next few days.

* * *

He could finally breathe again. After days of a rattling chest and constant coughing fits, Hans was finally able to draw a somewhat clear breath. Apparently that was enough for Anna to justify dragging him out of his sickbed and out to the stables.

"Anna, I'm not really in shape to be mucking out stalls at the moment." He pointed out to her. He was struggling to catch his breath just from the walk down the stairs and dreading the walk back up to his bed. But Anna had insisted, and trying to say no to her was like trying to tell an Italian woman you weren't hungry; pointless.

"I'm not going to make you clean out any stalls. Now shut your eyes, I've got a surprise for you." She pulled him along by the hand, bouncing with excitement as she went. He was reluctant to shut his eyes with her leading him, especially when it was supposed to be to a surprise. He could think of countless 'surprises' from his brothers as a child and young man. They were never good surprises. He didn't think that Anna would do anything awful, but the words still set a rock in the pit of his stomach.

"I don't like surprises, Anna. You know what I like? I like my bed, and sleeping, and trying to not be sick anymore." He told her dryly, though he did shut his eyes and let her pull him along.

"Oh stop complaining, you sound like a bitter old man." Anna responded, apparently not seeing the thorny bush in Hans' path. She didn't seem to hear his complaints about that, either. She stopped him and from the change in temperature, he could tell that they had just stepped inside the stables. He heard a happy whinny from one of the horses and an excited giggle from Anna, who grabbed onto his arms.

"Open your eyes!" She commanded. He opened his eyes to a horse knocking him to the ground with its insistent nudging.

"What the-" Hans pushed himself up onto his elbows and the horse pranced back, still whinnying loudly and trotting in place. "Is that…" He didn't need to actually ask. He would recognize Sitron anywhere. The stallion looked a little worse for the wear, a little thinner and older, but it was the same strong horse he'd raised and trained. And apparently Sitron had recognized him just as quickly.

He stepped to his feet and strode to his horse, hands running over him to check for any injuries or abrasions. Sitron nickered in greeting and Hans copied the sound best he could. Sickness forgotten for the moment, Hans nearly leapt onto Sitron's back without a saddle and rode for the hills, until he remembered the person that had brought him to the stables in the first place. He turned to face Anna, trying to ignore Sitron's not-so-subtle nudging on his back.

"Did you do this?" He asked, face crinkling with confusion. She nodded, an excited smile lighting her up.

"Uh huh, I sent word to the Southern Isles a while ago. Turns out being a princess has its perks, especially when I get a fund from Elsa to do with however I please. Including if I want to buy a horse." She jumped up and down, clapping excitedly. Hans stood perfectly still, shock rippling through him. She had bought Sitron back for him. He was no fool, he knew what a fine horse like his cost and he knew that his family had most likely overcharged. Anna must have been saving money for something and used it all on him.

"Why?" He asked hoarsely, suddenly feeling all the effects of being sick once more. He didn't like what he was feeling at the moment and a lump was forming in his throat. Anna shrugged, looking a little more bashful.

"You seemed sad, so I wanted to do something nice for you. Besides, it didn't seem fair that Sitron should suffer when he's such a good horse."

Hans ran a hand down the lower half of his face, holding it as a fist over his mouth. It was easily the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him, and it just didn't make sense to him that Anna was the one to do it.

"I…" He tried to speak but his voice caught and nothing came out. His eyes were burning, but he wouldn't cry. He was a man and men didn't cry. That was a lesson he'd been taught time after time as a young man growing up with so many older brothers. He'd been ten years old the last time he cried and never been tempted since, no matter what pain was inflicted upon him. So why was it that one kind act had his eyes burning?He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Anna suddenly, hugging her as tightly as he dared. She returned the hug with a happy laugh and Hans rested his chin in her hair.

"Thank you Anna. Nobody's ever…" He gave one last squeeze before releasing her and stepping back. "Just thank you."

Anna beamed up at him happily, an almost smug look in her eye. She lifted her head up as her lips tightened into a smirk.

"Oh Hans. If only there was somebody out there besides this horse who loved you." She told him in a teasingly mocking tone. His mouth gaped, a momentary streak of cold running through him at the words. But her smile was one of barely contained laughter, not a bitter smirk. His own lips relaxed into a wry grin and he shook his head.

"So that's how it's going to be?" He asked, taking a step forward. Anna darted several steps back and bobbed her head up and down.

"It's okay Hans. I'm sure there are other horses out there that love you too." She told him primly. He started towards her and she took off with a shriek. Hans ran after and Sitron followed with an excited whinny. Anna only made it about a quarter of the way across the castle lawn before Hans caught up with her, and even in his sickly state, was able to swing her over his shoulder and spin her around until she threatened to puke down his back.

"Call mercy!" He shouted, slowing the spin a little.

"Mercy, mercy!" Anna yelled, still laughing. Hans came to a stop, finding himself looking across the lawn at Elsa. She was only a few yards away and her hands were on her hips as she surveyed the situation with a hard look. He set Anna on her feet and held onto her elbow to keep her from toppling with dizziness. His face dropped to a more somber expression, like a schoolboy caught skipping class to go out and play.

"Hans, what-" Anna cut off when she caught sight of her sister as well, but she responded with a happy wave.

"Hi Elsa, did you see that I got Sitron for Hans? Oh, and Hans is feeling a lot better, too. But he should probably get back to bed now, so I'll take Sitron back to the stables and he can go get some rest." She turned to face the stables and made an insistent face at Hans that Elsa couldn't see. Hans sighed.

"Actually, I would like to speak to both of you. In the throne room, please." She turned and walked away without anything further and Anna exhaled loudly.

"She seems tense. Does she seem tense to you?"

Hans shut his eyes, mind running through all the different possibilities of what she could want to talk to the two of them about. Maybe she had changed her mind and was going to sentence him to death after seeing him get along with Anna. She probably thought he was plotting a way to murder them all and take the throne. Yet murder would definitely be the worst way to gain the throne, he'd said that a few times. Maybe it wasn't all that reassuring.

"Okay, I'll take Sitron back to the stables and you head inside. I should catch up to you with you walking like a grandma." Anna took Sitron's reins and Hans turned towards her.

"Do you want to get dumped in the fjord?" He asked politely. Anna's face split into a grin and she shook her head, tugging Sitron towards the stables.

"Last one to the throne room is a rotten egg!" She called. Hans rolled his eyes and coerced his sluggish feet into moving towards the castle. Running around and picking up Anna had taken a toll on him, but he wasn't sure anything could diminish the good mood he was in from having Sitron back.


	13. Syracuse

**A/N: Well, I managed to get this out on the week mark, but barely! I know there's been a few complaints about the way that Anna has forgiven Hans so quickly and completely. I have my theories for that. I see Anna as a very brash, passionate person. When she hates, she hates with every fiber of her being and that was how she originally looked Hans. When she forgives, she forgives completely and puts it all behind her. She doesn't like people, she loves people. She's just not an in-between type of person. Elsa, however, is a much slower person. She never hated Hans entirely, but it's still going to take her a lot longer to forgive him and accept him.**

* * *

Elsa was still struggling to get the picture of Hans and Anna playing around like children out of her head. He wasn't a friend, he wasn't a brother, he was hardly even a human as far as she was concerned. Actually, he had said basically the same thing during their return to Arendelle. She settled into the seat in her throne room, waiting for Hans and Anna to arrive. Kristoff stood uncomfortably to the side, remaining silent as he waited with her.

Anna was the first one to come running into the room. Hans followed after her just moments later, his breathing labored. The two both stood beside Kristoff and all three of them looked expectantly at Elsa. She linked her glove hands together and tried to think of how to form her sentences.

"I have some good news." She started hesitantly. It was good news, so she didn't know why she was reluctant to share.

"Syracuse has sent an offer for a trade alliance with Arendelle. They are one of the largest powers in the Seven Seas and with them at our side, Arendelle would never have to worry about lack of trade or people declaring war. And the letter was sent before news of my marriage was received, so it is not due to my taking a husband." A part of her was proud of that. She didn't have to depend on Hans for all of her good luck as Queen. He looked like he was going to be sick.. Anna was gleeful and Kristoff just looked confused.

"This is amazing!" Anna squealed, running up and hugging Elsa where she sat. "You don't need the alliance with the Southern Isles! You can annul your marriage with Hans and find your true love still! I knew there was still hope for you, didn't I say that? Ooh, I'm going to go back to looking for the perfect man for you again, I swear I'll find him." She hugged her again and Elsa felt her stomach sinking. Hans' face had paled even more than before, looking the same ashen grey it had been when he first returned to Arendelle from his ice harvesting trip.

"Anna, there are other things to consider.." She said slowly, trying to catch up with her sister's racing mouth. The thought had crossed her mind to annul her marriage and send Hans back to the Southern Isles where he belonged. But she still remembered the shape he had been in there and she would first sentence him to death than send him back to his home as a failure for the second time.

"May I request a private audience with Her Majesty?" Hans stepped forward, a bold move, yet his voice held a slight quiver. She'd never heard such hesitation from him. Anna stepped away and looked down at Hans like she had just realized that he was there.

"Oh, um, yeah Kristoff and I can go." She stumbled over her words and down the steps, taking Kristoff by the elbow and practically dragging him from the room. Hans moved forward on shaky legs once the door shut. Elsa felt like she was suspended in time for the moment, waiting to see his reaction. His head was fixed firmly downwards, apparently determined to not look her in the eye. Then his fingers moved towards the cravat at his neck and tugged it off. Next he shed the waistcoat and reached for the top buttons of his shirt.

"Hans, what are you doing?" Elsa asked, worry rising in her voice. He was a good distance away, still unbuttoning his shirt and refusing to respond.

"Hans, put your shirt back on." She insisted, wondering what could be driving him to such madness. His scars became so glaringly obvious without a protective cover of a shirt and Elsa looked away to avoid seeing the painful sight. He dropped to his knees, his back bent and his shoulders fell downward, looking truly broken for the first time ever. She swallowed a lump in her throat and shook her head.

"What are you doing?" She asked for the second time.

"This is what they did to me."He finally spoke and his voice sounded raspy. Elsa wanted to tear her eyes away but she couldn't. He was her enemy and he was a cruel man himself and he deserved whatever punishment he received. So why could she still not stifle the streak of pity that had flared up so strongly?

"I know that the last thing I deserve is mercy. But I ask for it anyway. Don't send me back to the Southern Isles. I will work as a slave here, I will take the lowest jobs, I will do whatever you ask of me. Just, please… Don't send me back."

Elsa felt frozen herself, sitting there and listening to him. "Hans, please stand up." She told him, rising herself and closing the distance between the two of them. He refused to move.

"I'll do whatever you ask of me, without a single complaint. I will accept any punishment. But I cannot return home and I assure you that I will not be alive should my body land upon the shores of the Southern Isles. I.." His voice that had been momentarily strong fell and Elsa dropped to her own knees as well. She felt a wave of compassion such as she had never felt for another human, regardless of how much she tried to hate him.

"I can't take anymore." Hans' voice had dropped to a mere whisper that she wouldn't have heard had she been any further away.

"Look at me." She insisted more strongly, pulling his face up with a hand on his chin. He looked scared, an expression she didn't believe she had ever seen on his face before. Well, she believed she had seen it once. The first time he'd been taken from Arendelle to return to the Southern Isles, the guards had to drag him from his cell while he did his best to fight his return. She had wondered then, but never cared much for his discomfort. Just as she still shouldn't care.

"I'm not sending you home." She said, almost feeling relieved herself to see the him sag in relief. His head fell again and she heard him exhaling as though he'd been holding his breath the entire time.

"I'll accept any punishment you have for me." He said in an even tone. Elsa could hardly believe she was hearing it from him, having only ever seen arrogance and mocking from the man. Any other moment she would have said that he deserved countless punishments for what he had done and apparently felt no guilt for.

"I won't be annulling our marriage, either." She decided to her own surprise. Of course she had only been debating whether or not to in her head, but she would never admit to him that the decision was not entirely based on rational logic. He looked up, surprise echoing in his features.

"What?"

Elsa nodded like she had known it all along. "I still need the peace in my own kingdom, as it has been proven that the people stir against me. And having the Southern Isles as well as Syracuse as trade partners will assure Arendelle's prosperity for many years to come and put us in a good position. For me to throw that away now would be a foolish waste of good fortune. I will, however, be writing a letter to the Southern Isles informing them of this new turn of events and requesting a renegotiation of our alliance and ending any tribute that Arendelle is paying to them." She gave a confident nod, feeling a weight off her chest.

"But Anna.. She wants to find you a man to make you happy." Hans pointed out, only looking confused now. Elsa gave him a rueful look and shook her head.

"I don't need a man to make me happy. I have a family, and my country will always come first. If this is what is best for Arendelle, it is what I will do." It really was as simple as that, and thinking about it she knew that was the conclusion she would have come to had she taken time to think on it. Hans broke a tight smile. He took one of her hands briefly.

"You're a good ruler, Elsa. Better than I would have been." He dropped her hand, though for a moment it looked like he would say something more. Instead he stood and Elsa followed in suit, suddenly uncomfortably aware of the lack of distance between them and his lack of proper clothing. She cleared her throat.

"Your um, your shirt." She said, nodding towards his discarded shirt. The sun tanned freckles on Hans' face became more pronounced as she saw him blush and he grabbed his shirt, shrugging it on.

"Thank you. For… Well, just thank you." He nodded at her, hands linking behind his back. Elsa nodded back at him, unsure of how to act now that she wasn't married to him purely out of necessity.

"I should most likely speak to Anna. She won't be happy." Well, it wasn't Anna's life or marriage. Elsa had to make her own decisions based mainly on what was best for Arendelle. And a part of her hadn't wanted to delve into the world of suitors once more, the headache that was called courtship. Hans was no perfect husband, but at least he wasn't attempting to smother her in fake compliments or acting smitten while he refused to let her touch him. She knew exactly what he thought of her, even if it was a strong dislike. Maybe it was a loveless marriage, but at least they both knew and acknowledged that fact.

"I'll let her in." Hans conceded, a relaxed look on his face. She wondered for a moment if she was actually seeing the real him. She believed she'd grown accustomed to his acting and nothing of their recent interaction held the telltale signs of his lies. For a moment, she believed that he had let his mask down. It wasn't what she had expected.

Anna nearly fell inside when Hans opened the door. She straightened quickly, brushing off her dress.

"Well, I would lie and say I wasn't listening, but there's no use. You can't hear anything through these doors, and you guys were talking really quietly." She said with an annoyed huff as she glared at them.

Elsa tried to be summon up an angry glare, but it melted into a wry smile. "Come in, Anna. I'll tell you about my decisions. Hans, you are dismissed."

He gave a quick bow. "As you wish, Your Majesty." And for once, the mocking tone didn't saturate his words.

* * *

He was almost asleep and it felt glorious. He'd been up all morning doing physical activity and his bones were aching with tiredness. Almost as soon as he sank into his bed, he was drifting off, blessing the comfort he had been granted. After the panic of the thought of being sent back home and being assured that wouldn't be, he felt limp with relief.

"Hans!"

He lurched up in bed at the sound of Anna's voice. She marched into his room, regardless of the fact that he was in bed and had not invited her, face full of fury. Hans put up both his hands, realizing that she must not have taken the news of his continued marriage to Elsa very well.

"Now Anna, give me a chance t-" Her fist connecting with his face cut him off. Hans rocked back, holding his face and feeling blood drip from his nose. He'd heard it crack, too.

"Fu-" He cut himself off from the curse, reminding himself that there was a lady in his presence. Whether or not she was actually acting like one. She did have a right to be angry, he could at least concede to that. He sat back up, still holding onto his bleeding nose. Anna grabbed him with both hands on the side of his head, pulling him forward and planting a kiss on his forehead.

Hans leaned back again, head tipped to the side with a wary expression. Now he was just confused.

"What's going on?" He asked her, wondering if he'd been hit to hard in the head at some point, or if his fever had returned and was doing things to his head.

"You're in love with her!" Anna practically shouted at him. Hans shut his eyes as her voice pierced his ears. He shook his head against her accusation.

"I don't know what you're talking about, in love with who?" Of course he knew who she was referring to, but he couldn't really believe it. No way that she could actually think that he was in love with Elsa. The queen was amusing to pester and he was definitely glad that he wasn't going to be reduced to the position of a slave. That didn't mean that he was in love with her, she hated him. He wasn't stupid enough to love someone that hated him, if he knew how to love at all.

Anna punched him again, in the arm this time. "My sister! Come on, I've seen you looking at her, and you totally looked relieved when she didn't break up her marriage with you. And not relieved like you escaped a hard sentence, relieved like happy. Because you still want to be married to her." She crossed her arms and he wasn't sure if she was smiling at him or glaring at him. Hans propped himself up on some pillows behind him.

"Anna, you should hear yourself. You sound crazy." He protested, grabbing a handkerchief from his nightstand and holding it to his nose.

"I thought you loved crazy." She shot back. Hans sighed.

"Elsa could never love someone like me." He pointed out, still boggled that they were even having the conversation.

"So you admit to it!"

"No!" He threw up his hands in frustration. "I mean.." His head felt all twisted up and confused, now. "It's not that simple. I've never been in love before. I like Elsa well enough, when she's not yelling at me. Although even then, she's pretty entertaining. And I guess my relief about not annulling our marriage wasn't purely because I didn't want a lower life. I was perfectly willing to accept the status of a slave again. I respect your sister probably more than I've ever respected anyone, just don't tell her that."

Anna's face twisted into an amused smile. "That sounds like love to me." She said in a wry tone. Hans just shook his head.

"What do you know about love?" He asked.

She made a face at him. "A lot more than I did when I first met you." She pointed out, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "Okay, so just tell me what you know about her. The little stuff, everything."

Hans pursed his lips together, shaking his head at playing along with the game. "I know that she is the Ice Queen. That she values her kingdom above herself and you above her kingdom. I know that she's lost weight because she's stressing and hardly eats. She doesn't like to admit her weaknesses and she still locks herself up in this castle because she's afraid of what will happen if she goes outside the gates. Chocolate is her favorite desert and one of the few things that can make her smile. She still struggles trying to be someone that doesn't feel, but just ends up bottling everything up and making it all worse. She's far more beautiful than she realizes and a much better ruler than she gives herself credit for." He looked up at Anna, wondering if that was enough yet. She wore a teary smile.

"Maybe it's not love, but it sure sounds like it could be. I didn't even realize she wasn't eating or hiding inside the castle." She reached over and took one of his hands. "Maybe you don't love her yet. But you owe it to each other to try. You're it, you're going to be together for the rest of your lives. You've both got your faults, you more than her, but those can be overlooked. I know it seems crazy but it's the only shot at love you've got." Anna insisted.

He couldn't come up with a defense for that. It did seem like it was only fair. "But I don't know how to love." He brought up. "I've never loved anyone or anything before. My family was certainly never loving." He almost shuddered just to think of his family. There was no affection shown there. Unless it was from his father to a few of the older, more useful brothers.

"Anyone can learn to love, Hans. It just may take a while." Anna gave him an encouraging smile and Hans found himself nodding along with the plan. The terrible plan. Elsa was never going to love him.

"I'll try." He agreed. "But I'm not sure how to do it."

Anna just waved a hand. "It's really not all that hard. Get her out of the castle, get as much time alone with her as you can. For gods sake, cut the mocking tone out of your voice and try to act like a decent person around her."

Hans gave her a dry look, though he knew that it was a good point. "Are you going to be telling her about this?" He asked, thought popping into his head and worrying him. That seemed like it would end terribly wrong and possibly with his head on a spike.

Anna coughed, taking a moment before she could actually respond. "No!" The word came out quickly and loudly. "If Elsa knew, she would overthink everything and lock herself in her room and probably not speak to you for an entire year. If she ever spoke to you again. You have to be kinda sneaky about these things with her, trust me. I know what I'm doing." She patted his hand once more and stood up. He felt some amount of relief to know that Elsa would stay in the dark about it, as he still wasn't so sure of it himself. He just nodded at Anna and she started to leave, only pausing in the doorway.

"Oh, and Hans?" She waited until he looked up at her. "You might want to try apologizing, as well. Before anything else."

His head bent in reluctant acknowledgment that he hadn't actually apologized for any of his actions. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. Anna gave one last sad smile before shutting the door. Hans slid back down in his bed, still holding the now bloody handkerchief to his nose.


	14. Market Days

**A/N: Wow I'm basically the worst. Okay, so I didn't really hit my week mark this time, but life's been a little crazy and this was kind of an intense chapter to write. I'm sorry I took so long to get this out, but I really hope you enjoy this. It's definitely an idea I've played with for a while and something I feel most people brush over when talking about Elsa post movie. (Oh, and the mention of Syracuse was actually a tie-in to the greatly under-appreciated kids movie, Sinbad XD)**

* * *

Elsa knew that something was off. Anna was acting strange; stranger than normal. She just couldn't put her finger on what was off. It was only little sly glances that Anna was sending her way, but that always meant that she had something up her sleeve. Well, it would come out in time and it was probably just something silly. And oddly enough, Anna had dropped her complaints about Elsa staying married to Hans. She had expected her to complain at least half as long as she did when she first married Hans.

But there hadn't been a peep out of her all morning. Elsa chose to take it as a welcome relief, a respite in the insanity that had been her life over the past couple months. And she turned her attention to more important things. Like reading. She was several chapters into the book Hans had given, and rather proud of herself for that. She currently sat in the library, legs curled under her as she sat on the couch and read. From her spot, she could see out the window to the crowds of people that gathered for the market.

It was a special market day, after all. One of two days a year that people from all over Arendelle brought their goods to sell. Anna was already down there mixing with all of them and picking out little what-nots to fill her already cluttered room. Elsa preferred to watch from above, where the crowds couldn't press in on her, where she couldn't feel countless eyes on her while the ice crept through her veins. Shaking her head at the thought, she shrugged away the chill that had briefly filled the room.

"Surely you don't plan to sit up here all day."

Elsa's head swiveled around to see Hans enter the room. He still walked the same, like someone who had the utmost of confidence in themselves. His expression was still the same taunting look as ever. Yet he wasn't quite the same anymore, like he was trying too hard to keep it up. She glanced once more out the window before turning her attention to Hans.

"If I were to go down there as the queen, I would do nothing but cause a disturbance and ruin the sales of those who depend upon this day." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was a good enough reason to be excused from the event. And it kept her from telling anyone about the innate fear she had to leave the castle, to be around people. The thought of being in a crowd was almost enough to make her cry. Even Anna didn't know the extent to which the thought of people terrified her.

"I thought of that." Hans said, surprising her. "Which is why I spoke with Gerda, and she procured a peasant's dress for you and a head covering to conceal your identity. It's in your room, I'll be waiting in the courtyard for you." He told her with a brief smile, slipping out of the room before she could stop him.

Elsa suffered an indignant glare at the empty doorway into which he had disappeared. She had no desire to go to the market and make a fool of herself, but he never paused to take that into consideration. Likely because he had never considered the idea of her being fearful to leave her own home, which she supposed she could be grateful for. At least he wasn't privy to the last few secrets she had left.

She rose slowly to her feet, setting the book to the side and sighing. To refuse meant explaining why she was so adverse to the thought. And if she accepted, perhaps the costume would keep her from feeling like everyone was staring at her. She could walk a few paces in and feign a twisted ankle or weak constitution. It would be easiest to go with it for the moment and ruin it later. Walking to her room, Elsa found the dress and held it up to herself. It was brown and plain, nothing like anything a queen would wear.

With a short roll of her eyes, she donned the clothing and checked herself in the mirror. She looked nothing like herself. It was almost strange to see herself with her white hair covered up, not in the rich blues she always dressed in. It was like looking at a stranger and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. Elsa shook away the thoughts and pulled herself away from the mirror. The sooner she went down, spent a bit of time amongst the people, the sooner she would be able to leave again.

She slipped on a pair of boots and went down to the courtyard, catching sight of Hans waiting with his back to the door, hands linked behind his back patiently. She paused silently for a moment, simply watching him. It was certainly strange, the way he seemed to have two sides of himself. There was the first, the man that she hated. Self-confident, presumptuous, rude and cared only for himself. But more and more she was getting glimpses of a different side of him, that was more unsure than anything. She of all people know how being unsure could drive someone to putting up a front.

Not that it excused any of his actions. He was still just as responsible for everything he'd done, and as much as he had suffered, she could still hardly believe that he had gotten off so easily after all the things he'd done. Grabbing onto that indignation, Elsa plastered a cold look on her face and prepared to leave. If she could just shove her feelings down, stay cold, she wouldn't be afraid. _It's just a market_.

"You're looking lovely, Queen Elsa." He must have sensed her presence, because he turned to face her, holding out a hand to help her down the steps. She hesitated a moment, then placed a gloved hand in his and allowed him to tuck her hand into his elbow. If he felt the ice in her hands through the fabric of his coat, he didn't show it.

"You're looking less than stellar, Hans." She replied stiffly, noting that he was wearing the clothes that Kristoff had provided for him once more. He only laughed at her reply, though it wasn't his typical unfeeling laugh that she was accustomed to from him. It was a laugh that was full of life and made her want to chuckle along.

"Let's just get this over with." She pursed her lips together instead of laughing. All it took was the thought of stepping outside and she felt cold all over again. If Hans said something in response, she didn't hear it, too focused on convincing her feet to move in sync with his. They pushed through the gates and directly into the throngs of people outside. Elsa gripped Hans' arm a little tighter instinctively.

 _Nobody's looking at you. You're normal._ She tried to talk herself into not being afraid but her stomach was doing flips and she could feel eyes on her. _If I have a breakdown here, I could kill someone. I could kill several people._ She pulled her hand back to herself, gripping both hands together. She had to control it. _Conceal, don't feel._ Eyes to the ground, she coaxed one foot after the other. She had been a fool to agree to this. She should have come up with a reason to stay behind, or just flat refused.

"Try to enjoy yourself, Queen Elsa. It's just a market day, and no one is recognizing you." He hand rested on the small of her back, seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil. Elsa tried to concentrate on that touch, use it to tether herself to the moment. But she felt like she was slipping back into the scared little girl that hid away from people in her room for so many years.

"I'm fine." She muttered, eyes still fixed on the ground. They pushed further into the crowd, moving into the cramped stalls of the market. People brushed against her on every side and she pressed closer to Hans, trying to shut the rest of the world out.

"Look at this," He paused in front of a stall, picking a small figurine up and holding it out to her. Elsa dared to touch it for a moment, but even through her gloves, she saw a sheen of ice form over the surface. She yanked her hand back to herself.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't-" She glanced around, certain that everybody had to be looking at her. They must have seen. Her hands shook, mind taking her back to the night of the freeze and the terrified looks the people had given her. Her breath started to come in rapid, shallow takes, and she backed away. Hans' arm caught her, keeping her out of the flow of people, and through the foggy memories of the past she saw his concerned face.

"Elsa, just focus on me. Look at me. You're not a monster."

His words just sent her tumbling further, chin trembling as she flashed to the first moment he'd warned her not to be a monster. The fear and the panic that consumed her. People wanting to kill her for what she had done, the things she had destroyed. She broke away from him with a cry and ice formed under her feet. Now people were looking at her. Gloved fingers dug into her arm, and she could practically feel storm clouds growing overhead. If she didn't get control of herself soon, she would freeze all of Arendelle. In her last moment of clarity, she looked at Hans and shook her head.

"I have to go."

* * *

The sight of Elsa disappearing through the crowd was likely the last thing Hans wanted to deal with at the moment. He really had been attempting to do something decent for her, but that had backfired on him. Dropping the figurine he'd picked up back in the stall, he ignored any strange looks sent his way and ran after Elsa. There was a faint sheen of ice on the ground to announce her trail, as well as spots of ice along walls and stalls. Not enough to draw attention, but enough to give him a trail to follow.

He found her away from all the people, in a less than desirable part of town. She was in the back of a dead end alley, sitting down with her arms wrapped around her legs. Ice crept along the ground and all the walls, while snowflakes danced through the air. Yet it was hardly as much as he would have expected from the levels of distress she was obviously in. She sounded like she was in pain, and her hands were pulling at her hair while she cried.

"Elsa?" He called to her, walking into the alley cautiously, hands out. "I'm not here to hurt you." He never should have forced her out of the castle, that much was clear. But he had never dreamed that her fear of people was so deeply rooted and could draw such a reaction from her. She looked up and he knew that she was somewhere else in her head, her eyes glazed over as she looked at him. She shook her head at the sight of him, drawing back further and throwing her hands up as if to protect herself.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone." Her voice took on a pleading tone. "Please, I didn't want any of this." She crumpled into herself, crying even harder. Hans approached her carefully, slowly, kneeling down in front of her and resting one hand on top of hers.

"I'm not here to hurt you." This time. Of course he left the latter part out, feeling it bear down on him like shackles around his neck. His actions were the reason she was having such an extreme panic attack. For the first time, and unfamilar feeling weighed down on him. Guilt. He'd been making excuses or just claiming he didn't care up until that point.

"You...you tried to kill me." Elsa gasped out, shuddering breaths interrupting her words. He had no doubt that at the moment, she wasn't seeing him crouched in front of her. She was seeing him standing above her with a sword in hand, something he had been able to justify or rationalize before. Now his jaw clenched until it hurt, anger with his own self welling up. There was no pride in what he had done to Elsa, the fears he had given her.

Then her hand turned up and held onto his like it was a lifeline. He looked down at their two hands, everything inside of him feeling at war. The part of him that he had built up for so long insisted that he needed to keep up his act. If he showed weakness, people would prey on it and destroy him, that was what his childhood had taught him. Even those closest to you could turn and bite at you, so it was best to not let anybody get close. To not care.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Elsa. I'm sorry." He'd never thought those two words would honestly come out of his mouth. He never admitted when he was wrong. But maybe just a little part of him was tired of always trying so hard. And it did at least draw her to look up again, a little less fear in her eyes.

"What?" She still looked scared. Still looked like she was barely containing a storm inside of her. Hans hoped for Arendelle's sake that she would be able to keep it in. He reached forward and took her other hand as well, since the physical touch seemed to be pulling her back to the moment.

"I said I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of what I did." He told her honestly, meeting her eyes with every word. She gripped his hands tighter and some of the snowflakes swirling around them began to calm. Then she grimaced and they picked up again, hitting his skin with tiny pinpricks of cold. She shook her head and the tears ran down her face.

"You should have just killed me that day." Her head fell down and she pulled her hands back into herself, wrapping them around her stomach. It looked like she was trying to absorb all of the ice into herself, to keep it from going out. With a helpless sigh, Hans moved around beside her and cautiously slipped an arm around her shoulder, tugging her into his side. Cold was pouring off of her, but he didn't mind that much. And against all expectations, she curled into him and he felt her gripping his jacket as she cried, cold tears freezing his shirt to his skin. Uncomfortable, pathetic, and yet oddly endearing.

He wrapped his other arm around her as well, one hand running through her silver hair. It was just as soft as he'd always imagined. Resting his chin on top of her head, he struggled to find some words to say to refute her.

"Your people love you, Elsa. Taking someone like you out of this world, it would have been…" He swallowed, realizing in a moment that Anna was right. He did care about Elsa in some twisted way. He'd always admired her. Been amused by the way she pulled her shoulders up straight and looked so cold and strong while she was so obviously terrified inside. She didn't let fear stop her when it came to protecting other people, only herself. She was so like him, yet the opposite of him at the same time and it drew him to her. Made him want to learn from her.

His hand slid down to her chin and pulled it up to make her look at him. "It would have been a crime so much worse than treason. Taking you out of this world would be like destroying a precious piece of art. You're not just the Queen of Arendelle, you're an icon. And not just for your powers, either. You're the strongest person I know."

She allowed him to hold her there just long enough to finish, then her face crumpled and she dropped her head against his chest again. He felt her head shake against him.

"I'm not strong." She protested, though her grip on his shirt definitely said otherwise. Hans sighed. He wasn't getting through to her at the moment. The majority of her panic attack had passed, but she still wasn't all in the moment. He pulled one arm away and slipped it under her knees, standing and holding her against his chest as he did. She hardly seemed to notice the movement.

"I'm taking you home." He told her. She didn't say anything, and he took that as approval. She weighed practically nothing and felt far too thin in his arms, drawing a frown from him. She really hadn't been eating enough. It couldn't be healthy, if she was as thin as she was. He marched towards the castle, deciding he would make her eat something as soon as they got there. Nobody paid them much attention on the way, even with her head covering off, nobody would think of their Queen being carried by a commoner. Just a particularly pale-haired girl being carried by an utter stranger through the crowded market.

It wasn't until he pushed through the castle's main doors and Kristoff and Anna saw him that they were recognized. The two both looked instantly worried, Anna rushing forward.

"Elsa! Gerda told me you went to the market, what happened?" The fiery redhead looked up at Hans. "What did you do to her?" She punched him in the arm. Hans shot her a glare, then glanced down at Elsa, who still had her face buried in his chest and didn't seem overly inclined to look out and say hello or explain herself.

"I didn't do anything." Hans growled. Of course, he doubted Elsa wanted anyone to know what had actually happened, which meant he needed to come up with something fast. "She just said she's not feeling well. I'm taking her up to her room."

"I'll take her." Kristoff said, coming up beside him and holding out his arms. Hans took a miniscule step away, looking up and shaking his head. Typically Kristoff could intimidate him. But he wasn't about to give up Elsa, an oddly protective streak running through him and demanding that he be the one to carry her.

"I've got her." He insisted, shifting her away. Kristoff glared down, arms still out. His look made one thing clear; while they might have come to an understanding of sorts, he was still supposed to be Elsa's protector and Hans was still a threat. Hans set his jaw and only pulled her tighter. He wasn't going to give on this one.

"Kristoff, it's just up to her room. I think Hans can handle that much." Anna laid a hand on her husband's arm, giving him a look. Kristoff looked down at her, obviously unhappy with the situation, though he did finally drop his arms. Hans nodded and started to walk, until one of Kristoff's hands grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to a stop. Hans tensed, feeling the man behind him, whispering only loud enough for him to hear.

"I can still kill you if you touch her." The hand let go as quickly as it had grabbed him. Hans didn't dare a glance back, heading straight to the stairs and hurrying up them. Partially because he was worried he would become a corpse if he waited a second longer to leave. By the time he made to Elsa's room, his pulse had returned to normal and he pushed inside and kicked the door shut after him.

"You're in your room now." He told Elsa softly, sitting down on her bed. She pulled away from him, and it almost seemed like a reluctant movement. Her normally pale face was red and puffy from crying, something she tried and failed to wipe away.

"Thank you." Was all she said in a hoarse voice. She laid down on her bed, turning her back to him and curling into a ball. He knew it was time, but he felt reluctant to leave. Instead, he reached over and combed a hand through her hair. "I meant what I said, you know. I am sorry. And I know there's nothing I can ever do to repay my actions. It's just something I have to live with." It almost made him wish she had left him in the Southern Isles, whiling away his strength in the stench and mire of his brother's stables.

"I never blamed you for trying to kill me." She said, almost too quietly for him to hear. He was ready to protest, but held back with the feeling that there was more. "Anyone in their right mind would have tried to kill me. But you were selfish." Her voice grew stronger and stronger, until she sat up and finally faced him. "All you cared about was getting Arendelle for yourself. If you could have settled for a little less, you might have had a place here. But you had to have it all, you had to break Anna's heart and speak to her so cruelly. You had to make everything worse than it could have been. And for all of that, I can't even be angry with you, because _I_ was the one to make the winter. _I_ was the one that nearly killed my sister, _I_ nearly took several lives up on that mountain. For every despicable act you did, I did something worse, and I'm the one that's celebrated. How is that fair?"

She started to cry again about halfway through her speech and snow fell around them. She held her gloved hands to herself, twisting them together. Hans clenched and unclenched his jaw, so unused to seeing raw emotion. To feeling anything real. He shifted, reaching and taking her hands to pull them away from her heart. He held them open and insistently tugged her gloves off, splaying her tiny hands out and gripping her wrists.

"You're not a monster, Elsa. These hands are not destruction. You made something beautiful, but you also made mistakes. You were scared. You're human. But you never intended any of it, you never wanted to hurt anyone. My intentions were selfish. That's what separates you from me. You have a pure heart, pure intentions." His hands slipped away with that, though his eyes held hers. She pulled her shaking hands back, though this time they rested easily in her lap, open to the air.

"How do you know just what to say?" She asked after a long moment. Hans finally broke her gaze, his turning down to his lap, his own hands. He swallowed, carefully considering his words before speaking.

"They called me a monster too."


	15. Recurring Nightmares

**A/N: Hello from the worst person in the universe. Seriously guys, leaving this fic for so long is one of my greatest regrets in life. Thing is, my life went a little haywire for a while. I was dealing with moving, and my sister got married, then I was dealing with a depression and struggling just to go to work, and basically sucking at everything. But, I'm at a solid point again and I haven't given up on these two. I hope you all haven't abandoned me, because I love this story and I love all of you for your support! I just went and reread all my reviews, and seriously guys, you rock. This story is for you 3**

 **Also, have a little pain in this chapter to say hello again.**

* * *

 _ **"Don't be the monster they fear you to be."** Somehow, she could never block those words out. They echoed around her head, night after night, mocking her. Reminding her of what she really was. They sounded so genuine, so concerned. So real. They knocked around the dank cell she was locked in, giving her no peace._

 _As for the cell, it was cold. She had never been bothered by the cold before, but now it bit into her skin and burned till it went numb. Darkness danced around her and the dampness of the cell made the cold that much more unbearable. Was this way Anna had felt as she slowly froze from Elsa's magic? A creeping stiffness through her limbs, pain that ached right down to the heart. It seemed to come from the heart._

 _Outside, people cried. They shouted for justice, raging against the storm and calling for her head. The winter storm only grew louder, the howl of the wind finally drowning them out and leaving only an awful shrieking in Elsa's ears to torment her. She curled into a ball, wrapping her arms around her head in attempt to block it out. She couldn't stop the storm, couldn't stop the winter. She could feel it inside of her, raging and warring against her, threatening to rip her apart. But she couldn't stop it. It was too much, too strong._

 _And then it all went silent. Painfully so. Elsa pulled herself reluctantly to her feet, every step agony on her frozen feet. The chains around her hands clanked as she crept to the window and peered out. Everything was still frozen, but deadly calm. The storm had subsided for the moment, even if the air retained its breathtaking chill. It only took one yank of the chains for them to break with the bitter frost around them. The action sent the wall towards the castle crumbling and castle groaned as something deep within crashed. Elsa could only pray nobody was harmed in the destruction she was raining down._

 _The rest of the dungeon was empty. No guards stood at her gate, nor any at the entrance. Even the lower part of the castle was empty, eerily so. It seemed a sin to disturb the perfect silence, and Elsa crept through as quietly as she could. The castle had been so full of people just hours earlier… It was as if everyone had just left. Or stopped. She finally rounded a corner and came face to face with a servant. The sight made her gasp and stumble. The woman was frozen solid, a look of horrible pain forever marring her face._

 _"No, no, no, no!" Elsa pleaded with her, rushing forward to take her face in her hands. "Please, I didn't mean to! Come back, I'm sorry!" She begged the frozen statue. Lifeless eyes stared back at her and Elsa began to back away, tears streaming down her face. She tripped over something and fell back, a fresh sob tearing out of her when she saw what it was. Another servant crouched low, arms wrapped around himself and face frozen in horror._

 _"Stop it!" She screamed, scrambling and tripping to her feet, to turn and race down the hall. She had to escape from them. But everywhere she turned there was another, countless people, each one frozen in their last moments of painful terror. Blank, lifeless eyes stared out and accused Elsa for what she'd done. Silent mouths gaped open, screaming at her that she was nothing more than a monster._

 _She burst into the courtyard, determined to escape from it all, then stopped dead in shock. The courtyard was full to the brim with people. Their fists were raised, angry shouts still echoing on their icy lips. Every last person in Arendelle was frozen. From her magic. Elsa spun in a slow circle, facing every accusing eye. The last face she landed on tore an agonized cry from her throat._

 _"Anna!" The sight of her sister frozen once more was too much. Elsa collapsed on the ground, dropping her head in her hands. Tears weren't enough to describe her pain, her shame, the white hot searing guilt inside of her._

 _Footsteps sounded behind her. She turned and looked up through bleary eyes, holding a hand to her mouth to keep from wailing in pain. A momentary hope flashed through her that someone had been spared from her evil. The figure came into focus and Hans stared down at her, his cold eyes shouting her judgment._

 _"So, Queen Elsa. You did become the monster they feared you to be. Pity." He told her, calmly slipping his gloves off. Like a statue in motion, he stepped forward._

 _Elsa cowered away, shaking her head and holding her hands open. "Please, I didn't mean to. I never wanted any of this, I didn't mean to." She pleaded, though her shoulders slumped in defeat. In a sharp ring, she turned her face away, recognizing the sound of a sword being slid from its sheath._

 _"Of course you didn't." Hans' tone was soothing. "But you still killed all these people. You're the biggest monster here, Elsa. You don't deserve to live."_

 _Her head fell with a cry, knowing it was true. "I never wanted to be a monster." She whispered, just before she felt the sting of the sword and screamed in pain._

* * *

She was screaming. It was enough to wake him out of a dead sleep, even a room away from hers. Instinct had him up and on his feet before he really even knew what he was doing, heading for the door. It was locked from the outside. With a frustrated growl, Hans took a step back then started kicking at it until he finally heard wood splintering and it swung open. There was no one else in the hall, nobody running to her room. Theirs were the only rooms occupied in this section of the castle, and he briefly wondered if it was just so that nobody else would come should she had a nightmare.

He'd heard her before, having nightmares. It never lasted though, and it was never full screaming, agonizing pain packed into her voice. It made him wonder if it wasn't a nightmare, if it was another people that had put together an attempt on her life. The idea drove him forward faster, and he pushed into her room.

It was noticeably cooler inside, but nobody else was there and that dragged a breath of relief from his lips. He was still worried, but at least she wasn't in immediate danger. At least not from anyone besides herself. Her screams had faded, but she was giving great gasping sobs, curled up on her bed with her hands pressed against her heart once more.

Seeing that was giving him increasing worry. She always held her hands to herself when she was trying to control it. He had his suspicions that she was trying to absorb the cold into herself, but now he was worried that she could actually hurt herself, if the expression of pain on her face was any indication.

He didn't pause to think about propriety or whether or not Elsa would freeze every pair of socks he owned later for it, he climbed onto her bed. She cowered again at the sight of him. He felt as low as dirt, as it hit him again that she was deep down still afraid of him. Which was beyond ridiculous, because she could snuff him out as quick as a winter gale putting out a flickering candle. She was too powerful to be afraid of him.

Yet the hatred in her eyes, it wasn't directed at him. It was a self-loathing that he recognized in her eyes, mirroring his own.

"I killed them." She said through her tears, shaking her head and curling further into herself. "I killed all of them, everyone is frozen. Everything is frozen."

He caught her arms to keep her from pulling even further away, from falling off the bed entirely. He picked her up and pulled her against his chest, ignoring her weak attempts to push him away. Cold was pouring off of her, and the blankets crackled underneath him where ice had made them stiff.

"It's just a dream, Elsa. You haven't hurt anyone, nobody is dead." He tried to assure her, trying to hold her tight enough that she couldn't hurt herself but not so tight that he would hurt her. Her attempts to fight faded away, head curling down and knees drawing up. She felt too incredibly small in his arms, he wondered how nobody had noticed how little she had been eating.

"I killed them and you killed me. I can't control the curse." She whispered, even as the cold receded. She was pressing her hands even harder against herself. After a few more shuddering gasps, he heard her muttering to herself in a voice so low he almost couldn't make out the words.

"Don't feel. Don't feel." She said quietly. Hans couldn't abide by it any longer. He sat up more fully, moving her to sit apart from him, pulling her hands away from herself. She was stronger than she should have been, but he could still keep her from pulling away. She wasn't wearing gloves, not surprising while she was asleep. But her face took on a look of desperation as she pulled at him and ice danced from her fingertips.

"You can control it." He insisted. He pulled her hands, forcing them to rest flat against his chest and holding his own over them, so she couldn't move them. It was so cold it hurt, ice burning through his shirt to his skin.

"Think about Anna. Think about the people you care about. And don't think about hurting them, think about the faith that they have in you. I know that you would never hurt them, you have control. Control that doesn't come from refusing to feel." It was a harsher tone than he first intended to take with her, but it seemed to wake her up and the cold against his chest was finally lessening. But she was still tugging at her hands.

"Please, please, please, you have to let me go. I'll hurt you." She pleaded, turning her eyes away. Hans shook his head.

"No. I'm going to keep your hands here because I know you're not a monster and I know you won't hurt me." And just maybe because a little part of him believed that even if she couldn't control it and she didn't accidentally kill him, he probably deserved it. And she would be free from her nightmares if she killed the demon in them.

But the cold faded, as suddenly as the storm had when he'd told her that Anna was dead. He loosened his grip and she stopped trying to pull away. Like all the fight had gone out of her. Hans breathed a sigh of relief. He moved a hand to rest against the curve of her face, draw it up to look at him. Her violet-blue eyes looked a little less haunted and a little more at peace.

"How long have you been having these nightmares?" It was more of a selfish question than anything, wanting to know if he was entirely at fault or not. "Are they because of me?" Her face flashed briefly with shame, eyes darting away from his.

"I've had them since I was a child. After the first time I hurt Anna. You didn't start them you just..made them worse." She admitted. He felt a mixture of relief and twist in his chest at the words. It wasn't all his fault. But it meant she had been dealing with this for years now, ever since she was a child. He supposed what he was feeling was considered pity by most people and he didn't like it. He had been perfectly happy in his life not giving a damn about anyone, but now this snow queen came in and flipped everything upside down.

"Come here." He pulled her into him again, resting his chin against her head and pressing his lips against her temple. She was stiff and tense, and he wasn't sure if it was because of him or because she was still worried about hurting him. Either way, he ignored it and wrapped his arms around her. Physical touch seemed to calm her down, if she could just get past the initial fear of hurting the person.

"It's over now. It was just a dream. Focus on breathing." He told her, and he could feel her taking deep breaths in response to his words. Relieved, he settled back, leaning against the headboard and letting her rest against him. He would just stay long enough for her to calm down and forget about her nightmare. He wasn't going to fall back asleep, he was going to go back to his own room.

He was just going to shut his eyes for a little while.


	16. Prince Lars Westergaard

**A/N: Okay, so a couple things to cover here. First, thanks to everybody for being so understanding about my absurd time gap 3. I'm going to make up for it by shortening the breaks between chapters. And thank you for your comments on my last chapter, it got me writing a bunch today and it's always good to know my work is appreciated. Secondly, I swear after this chapter, I will bombard you guys with fluff. It will be all fluff. It's getting super angsty up in here and I apologize for that. This chapter was really needed though, because of reasons that you will hopefully understand when you read it. And my last note, I finished! I actually just finished writing the epilogue a few minutes ago, and I think it's a pretty good ending. So you can be sure that all of this WILL be posted. It didn't turn out as long as I expected, but I decided against throwing in any weird plots.  
**

 **Which brings me to the point of that point...(this is why I shouldn't write late at night). Normally I wouldn't post another chapter just a day after the last one. BUT, I need some input. Obviously I'm going to start another one now because I'm trash and have ten thousand Helsa stories I want to write. But I think for now I've narrowed it down to two, and I want one to really concentrate on. So here it is.  
Would you rather a story where Hans was cursed (long story on how) and actually is the dippy, dorky, male version of Anna that we see in the beginning of the film. There would be lots of confusion, lots of him and Elsa butting heads, dealing with a little more of Kristoff and Anna actually getting together and a shit-ton of adorableness, plus lots of Anna and Hans wreaking havoc around the castle because they're two peas in a pod, who drive both Kristoff and Elsa insane.  
OR would you rather a story that's quite a bit darker, where Hans is shipwrecked on the way back to the Southern Isles and assumed dead. In reality he washed up on Arendelle's countryside and was taken in by family of farmers that sort of claimed them as their own. Anna and Elsa would have a strained relationship, Kristoff would be gone for the first part (driven off by Elsa somehow) and everyone would be unhappy, and Hans would actually be the one teaching them how to actually act like a family. **

**I have a lot of muse for both of these, but I'm not sure which one I really want to go after with a club. Please vote in your comments and help me decide so I can get started!**

* * *

Elsa stopped having Hans' door locked at night. It seemed a foolish choice when he had proven that it couldn't keep him in and had done it because he'd thought her in danger. While the logical side of her brain told her that he still could not be trusted, that he had proven himself too good a liar in the past to believe in anything he did or said, it was so hard not to believe him. The way he looked at her, like he actually saw her.

Nobody else really looked at her like that. Anna saw her as a sister, looked past all of her faults and refused to see any of the bad. Kristoff wasn't too different, too fiercely protective of her to see what she had done wrong. And her subjects, they all just saw her as a queen that could send them right back into an eternal winter in the blink of an eye. Hans saw all of her, all her faults, he had witnessed her at her absolute worst. He didn't dismiss it, but he didn't hate her for it either.

He understood it because she had seen him at his worst too, and in some twisted way, that made her feel alike to him. Anyone would probably think her insane if she tried to explain it to them. But even Kristoff gave his grudging support of unlocking the door at night after seeing the splintered wood of the door jam, and hearing that it had been to get to her because she had been screaming.

She trusted Kristoff's judgment more than anyone else in the castle, which was perhaps a sad statement. Trusting the judgment of a solitary mountain man above anyone else around her. She hated to say it, but she wouldn't trust her life in Anna's hands. Not because she didn't believe that her sister would do whatever she could to protect it, but because she was likely to get distracted by a butterfly or believing the best in someone and forget whatever she was supposed to be doing.

She wasn't sure where Hans fit on that scale yet. Trusting someone to not lock them in their room every night wasn't a huge step in the grand scheme of things, and she was still watching him carefully. And avoiding him, in the past few days. After him seeing her at her weakest points, points that even Anna didn't see, embarrassment had driven her to avoiding him. She hadn't even been listening to his daily reports, having Kai take over that duty for her. She just knew that Hans would look at her and all he would see was her looking pathetic and weak. That was not the side of her she wanted him to see.

She had to put a good amount of distance between them again. It wasn't easy to do with the way he watched her during meals, always hovering over her shoulder and telling her she needed to eat more. She had begun taking meals away from the main hall, or skipping them entirely. Which was what she was doing at the moment, seeking refuge in the library while she knew the others would be eating.

Funny, how the library had always been a place of escape for her, even while the purpose of it had little meaning to her. It had a little more now, and she was to the point that she could read on her own. She still printed down words that she wasn't sure off, saving them to ask about later. If she should ever come to a point of speaking to Hans comfortably again. She imagined she would, once she found a way to erase her weakness.

That would have to come later, as her brief moment of peace was invaded. Kai stepped into the library, holding a letter and a concerned look. Elsa set aside her book and straightened up.

"What is it?" She asked, knowing that he rarely looked worried. He gave a short bow in greeting before speaking.

"A letter from the Southern Isles. I was told that the news is for Hans, but I thought to bring it to you first." He explained. She nodded. She was beginning to trust the man she was married to to some modicum, but she wouldn't have him receiving mail from home without reading it first. And while she felt a little guilt over reading his mail, she comforted herself in the thought that anyone would do the same with a man that had so much betrayal in his past.

"Read it to me." She ordered, sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch, hands linked over her knees. Kai nodded, breaking the seal and unfolding the letter.

 _To her Majesty, Queen Elsa_

 _I am sure you will be the first one reading this letter, which is a wise move on your part. I will make the message brief. Hans' older brother Lars died in a riding accident. By the time you're reading this, the funeral will already be well over with. Such news I'm sure is quite trivial to you, but I believe Hans and Lars were somewhat close. I don't know what Lars saw in him, but the two were often found together._

 _It is up to you whether or not you want to tell him. He was always rather dramatic, so I would not fault you for burning this letter in order to avoid the theatrics._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Prince Caleb Westergaard._

Both her and Kai were silent for a long moment after the letter was read. Even Kai seemed to be shocked by the coldness in which Hans' brother referred to him. Elsa had met Lars briefly during her stay in the Southern Isles, and she had liked him better than any of the other Westergaard's. Even if he had been the one to propose marriage to Hans and get her into her current mess.

"What would you like me to do with the letter, Queen Elsa?" Kai asked, finally breaking the silence. Elsa looked up, swallowing as she processed the question. She stood and held out her hand.

"I'll take it. Hans should know about his brother." She said quietly. Kai laid the paper in her hands, and it rustled against her gloves. She concentrated carefully to keep from harming the paper, wishing for all the world that she hadn't thrown away the gloves her parents had given her. The dark blue ones she'd had during her coronation. They had been enchanted, to keep her magic from escaping and she had no idea what her father had done to procure them.

Kai quietly left the room, leaving Elsa to her own thoughts. She had no idea how Hans would react. He'd never spoken of missing any of his brothers, never even hinted at it. And she hadn't seen any evidence of a good relationship between him and any of them. Lars hadn't been on of the brothers to act out against Hans when they were all hitting him the first time she saw him again. But he also hadn't stopped any of his brothers.

There was no guessing how he would react. And it was best to just get it over with. Taking a breath, Elsa squared her shoulders and headed for the dining hall. She heard laughter before she entered, but it died when she came into view. In the past week or so, it had become obvious that Anna and even Kristoff had accepted Hans in some strange way. Yet they tried to hide it from her anytime she was around. It was an odd feeling, like she was an intruder in her own home. Her own family.

She brushed the feeling aside for the moment, eyes settling on Hans. His lighthearted look faded as soon as he looked up at her, and she wondered if she appeared that solemn.

"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" He asked. She wondered if he even heard the names he used for her anymore. Or if they just slipped off his tongue naturally, because the mocking tone tone wasn't there anymore. He just called her by those same things like it was the most natural thing to do.

"I received some news from the Southern Isles. It's not good." She told him, feeling the atmosphere of the room change. But she didn't glance to the side to see the expressions of Anna or Kristoff, just kept her eyes on Hans. He had sobered instantly, back straightening and head raising. Like he was expecting a punishment.

"What news?" He asked her solemnly. The letter hung loosely from her fingers at her side.

"One of your brothers has passed. There was a riding accident." She explained with dread creeping up into her throat to see how he would react. As quickly as he had tensed, he relaxed again. He reached for his glass, taking a long drink of what she assumed to be wine before he shrugged.

"I have a dozen brothers, none of them decent. One of them passing simply means the world is a slightly better place now." He said lightly. She almost couldn't believe how nonchalant he was about it. Whether or not they had been bad brothers, could one be so cold? Then she flashed back to him standing in front of her, blood dripping through his beard as he forced a smile on his face by some impressive feat. Maybe she could understand the coldness. Maybe he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"It was Lars." Her voice was quiet, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Hans' head snapped to the side, staring at her. There still wasn't much feeling there, just confusion.

"What?" He acted as though he hadn't heard her, but she knew that he must have.

"It was Lars." She repeated, a little louder this time. Hans chuckled and shook his head. He looked back at his plate, popping something in his mouth, chewing and swallowing before he replied again.

"No it wasn't." He said simply. His voice was incredulous and demeaning, like he was laughing at her for even suggesting the idea. She thought she should probably be angry with him for speaking to her in such a way, but she couldn't dredge up any anger. Instead she just took a few steps forward and held out the letter.

Hans rolled his eyes, but took the letter. He carefully dabbed at his mouth a napkin before pushing his chair back and turning his eyes to the letter. There was pleasant sort of blank expression on his face the first time his eyes skimmed over it. Then they flicked back up to the top and Elsa watched the color slowly drain out of his face. He stood abruptly, crumpling the paper up and throwing it on the table. He shook his head again.

"No, that's not true." He insisted, anger in his tone now. Then he looked around, apparently noting the surprised faces of those around him. He regained his composure and fixed his jacket, turning to face Elsa.

"Pardon me. I've lost my appetite." He explained, brushing past her to leave the room. It was the first time he hadn't waited for her permission before leaving the room. Both Anna and Kristoff stared at her, as if she could offer some explanation for Hans' strange behavior.

"Go after him!" Anna finally ordered after a long silence, spurring Elsa into action. She nodded, trying to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind, so she just turned and hurried after Hans.

* * *

 _Lars was not dead. No, it was just another cruel trick of Caleb's, made to rattle Hans. He was bored without Hans around to torture, so he had to come up with a way to torture him from afar. That was the most logical explanation. Surely the universe couldn't be so cruel to him to take the one person that had ever even moderately liked him. Lars knew what it was like to be the youngest sibling. He was the fourth born, but there had been a long gap between him and the next brother, so he had suffered being the youngest for quite a time and took pity on Hans. They had never been the best of friends, never been incredibly close, but Lars had never tormented him like the others. Lars was the only brother Hans actually liked._

Yet all the denial in the world couldn't shake him of the feeling that it was true. That Caleb wouldn't go to the trouble of writing a letter if it wasn't true. Hans managed to wait until he reached his own room before his fist met the wall, pain jolting up his arm at the contact. His knuckles started bleeding, skin torn away from meeting the stone wall. But the pain was a welcome relief to the torment in his mind.

He couldn't explain the feeling. Like his only tie had just been severed, leaving him to float off on his own. Knowing there wasn't a single person in the world who cared about his fate. He was entirely alone at the moment, and it was a startling feeling. He had never realized how much he'd depended on knowing he at least had one person that saw him for who he was, or saw him at all. Without that, what was he? Did he actually become the shell of a person every other person saw him as?

 _Did he become a monster?_

The thoughts were too much to bear. He didn't want to feel anymore, he wanted to shut it all out and find that cold place. Yet it was becoming increasingly difficult to find, that peaceful spot between not caring and insanity. Had he just danced the line a little a too long? In one long stride, Hans reached the dresser in his room and shoved off everything that was on top of it. A glass vase shattered as it hit the ground, shards crunching under his feet when he took another step. He hit the wall again, fresh pain making him cry out as already raw flesh met stone.

"Hans!"

He turned at the familiar voice, trying to compose himself. Straightening his cravat, trying to cover the blood dripping from his knuckles. Yet as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he saw that his hair was a tousled mess from him running his hands through it, and there was no way to cover the mess he had made of his room. He gritted his jaw, nodding at her. Trying desperately to cling to his cold facade.

"Elsa. I apologize if I bothered you. I'll clean this up." He said, hoping she would ignore the way his voice cracked and leave him be. She just stared at him, staying right where she was at. Too tired to keep up any sort of act at the moment, Hans turned away from her and went to sit on the opposite side of his bed, with his back to her. His back stayed stiff, staring at the wall blankly.

After a moment of that, he heard more glass crunching under steps, then Elsa sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders pressed together. She didn't say anything, just sat there beside him until the silence threatened to deafen him.

"Imagine," he finally said, voice hoarse, "imagine you lost Anna. And suddenly nobody knew you, nobody even liked you because you lost the one and only person that ever saw you. Imagine how it would feel to know that the only person on earth that ever gave a shit about you was just gone. How would you even know who you were anymore?" He knew it was a selfish way of looking at it. He wasn't thinking about Lars, or how sad it was that a good man was no longer in the world. His perspective was an entirely selfish one, not wanting to lose something he'd had.

Oddly enough, Elsa didn't call him out on it. He felt her small hand wrapping around his injured hand, pulling it into her lap. Slowly, the pain from it was numbed and faded away. Her other hand reached up, slipping over his jaw and pulling it down, forcing him to look at her. He was expecting judgment, but she just pulled him down till his forehead rested against hers, the cool feel of her skin cooling the flush that had come over him from his anger. He almost wished she would bring down the temperature in the room.

"I see you." She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, and close enough that he could feel her icy breath on his skin. He let out a bitter chuckle, letting his eyes fall shut.

"You hate me." He pointed out. The silence dragged again, before his felt her hand tighten around his and she shook her head against him.

"I don't hate you. Not anymore." She said. She moved away just enough to kiss his cheek and Hans shut his eyes even harder, almost wishing she did hate him. He deserved her hatred. He didn't understand how she could not hate him. At the moment though, her words were the only source of comfort he had and he found himself in desperate need of some comfort. And it was true, she did see him. She had seen him at his worst, at lengths he had never even thought himself capable of. She had seen him beaten down, she had seen him at every pathetic stage. If she could see that and not hate him, maybe he did have hope.

Hans leaned down, wrapping his arms around her waist and clutching her against him. He rested his head against her shoulder, shockingly finding comfort in the way her arms slipped around him. He knew they were two people completely unused to any sort of physical contact, but he couldn't bring himself to let her go. Instead, he felt tears seeping out, no matter how hard he shut his eyes. He hadn't cried since he was a child, even if getting Sitron back had almost broken that streak. There was no getting around this though, the way his shoulders shook with every breath he drew in, no matter how he tried to hold himself steady.

If anyone had ever told him he would be one day drawing comfort from Elsa after trying to kill her, he would have thought them insane. At the moment though, he was certain that she was the only thing keeping him from going insane.

"I'm sorry," he said, unsure of why he felt the sudden and intense need to apologize. He already had apologized once. "I'm sorry for everything I did, none of it was worth it." He had also never felt such intense remorse. Never really felt remorse for that matter. But he couldn't imagine how he had ever considered killing the woman currently in his arms.

"It's okay." She told him, her hand moving up and brushing through the back of his hair. "I forgive you."

He knew how difficult those words were for her. Even harder than his apology, and his arms tightened around her. It didn't stop the guilt coursing inside of him, but it lessened it a little and he didn't need words to fill up the space any longer. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but darkness had fallen by the time he pulled away. Elsa reached up and brushed some hair out of his face. He still felt blank inside, and he pulled away.

"It's late." He told her. He kicked off his shoes, moving to lie on his side on the bed, his back to her. But she surprised him again by not leaving the room. The bed moved and squeaked, and he felt her lie behind him, one arm wrapping around him.

"I'll stay." The soft words seemed to echo in the air for a while, and he couldn't deny that he felt relief. He took her hand in his, linking their fingers together.

"Okay."


	17. In the Window

**A/N: Again, pretty quick update because I already have everything done (woohoo!). Also, happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had fun and was safe. Your reviews on my last chapter were fantastic and I love all of you. I see that everyone voted for the second story, but you may be disappointed because I kind of got slapped in the face with muse for a psychic!Hans au. Hopefully it won't be too long and I'll get back to the other one soon.**

 **For now, enjoy some fluff!**

~One Month later~

The winds were warming again. Hans stood at the edge of the docks, letting an ocean breeze ruffle his hair. The salty smell always put his mind at ease, though a month after his brother's death found him oddly peaceful. He'd come to terms with it, and he'd come to terms with himself. Granted, he was by no means a good man as of yet. He still needled Elsa into fits of anger, still snapped at Anna and had his moods of sullenness when nobody could draw him from his room.

Yet somehow, patience was not lost on him. Impossible that people whom he had tried to harm with such intention would become more comfortable to him than his own family, but they were. The Arendelle castle that had once seemed foreboding or suffocating now felt more like home than anywhere else. It was probably the first time anything had felt like home.

Which left him waiting for the other shoe to drop. He knew it had to be coming, no small amount of happiness for him had ever lasted. It felt as though he was holding his breath, waiting for things to go back to the ways it had been when he first arrived. Always glancing over his shoulder and expecting to wake up in a cold sweat in his bed. Or back in the dungeons in the Southern Isles. Someone like him didn't get family. At least not a good family, not a family that forgave like the one he was currently in the midst of apparently did.

Yet he was there, in the midst of it. And a group of people who had every reason to hate him accepted him. With a sigh, Hans dropped to squat on his heels and drop a hand into the water. It was still chilly, but almost warm enough to swim in. With the sun beating down on his black overcoat, it was almost tempting. But after his dip in the icy lake with Kristoff, the thought of another cold swim just for the fun of it wasn't quite tempting enough.

"Do you have any idea how easy it would be to just nudge you in right now? Like, you wouldn't have a chance." Anna's familiar voice sounded behind him and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Hans slowly stood and turned enough to face her leaning against one of the posts at the edge of the dock.

"Please, you don't have what it takes." He taunted lightly. Anna scoffed, head up as she walked forward. Like he wouldn't guess what she was up to. A moment later she tried to grab his arm and push him in, but he spun, broke his arm loose and gave her a light push that sent her toppling into the fjord. Hans laughed as she came up spitting water, fabric billowing all around her and slowly sinking into the water. Her hands dug through water as she ducked under the surface briefly and came back up coughing.

"Hans, I can't swim." She gasped, ducking under again. Instantly, the laughter died. Hans stripped off his jacket and his boots quickly as he could and dove in after her. Almost as soon as he reached her she popped above the surface again, giving a gleeful laugh before planting her hands on his shoulders and shoving him underwater. Surprise held him there for a few seconds before he pushed away from her and broke through to gulp in air again. Anna was still laughing at him, easily treading water a few feet away.

"You really think I can't swim? I grew up next to a fjord, there's a part of it inside of the castle gates that only the royal family can get to. I can swim like a fish." She explained, even if it did seem that her dress was weighing her down. Hans tried to scowl at her.

"I thought you were drowning, Anna." He told her, glad he had at least taken the time to shed his coat and boots before jumping after her. She didn't look repentant in the least, moving back towards the dock.

"Not my fault you're gullible." She told him lightly. Hans kicked himself into motion, catching up with her and shoving her under in revenge. About at that point, a shadow fell over them and Hans looked up to the scowling face of Kristoff.

"Kindly release my wife and don't drown her." He said lowly, and Hans immediately moved his hands away to let Anna come up again. Her hair was all in her face and she was sputtering like a drowned rat, but she beamed a bright smile when she caught sight of Kristoff. She stuck her hand up towards him.

"Hey sweetheart. Give me a hand?" She asked. Kristoff rolled his eyes but Hans saw smile behind the expression as he leaned down and took Anna's hand. She laughed devilishly, ducking again and yanking him in after her. The string of curses that left his mouth when he got air again made it clear that he was not raised in a proper society. Anna didn't seem to notice, which was more surprising to Hans than Kristoff saying them. She just laughed again, moving to cling to him in the water, kissing him on the cheek.

"You look adorable when you're angry." She told her husband, drawing a snicker from Hans. Which cause both of them to look at him.

"I changed my mind, you can drown her now." Kristoff spoke up. Anna planted her hands on his shoulders and tried to shove him down, but he didn't move from his steady spot in the water. She huffed and settled for just using him to hold herself up.

"You have got to be the most sickening couple I've ever known." Hans commented. He wasn't accustomed to being around people that were open in their affection for each other. Where he came from, any sort of affection was meant to be private, besides maybe a light pat on the hand or possibly a short, vague encouragement. Kristoff and Anna however, they were plain about their feelings. He had seen them kiss several times, which wasn't something he particularly cared to see. Now though, they were both turning on him.

"I think that sounded like a challenge. What do you think Anna?" He questioned. She nodded along with him.

"I think it did. I think we should probably both dunk him now." She replied, the mischievous look in her eye only growing. Hans ducked underwater and they both dove towards him and it turned into a sort of game. Two on one, the sides changed continuously, until all three of them dragged themselves from the fjord, dripping and shivering. The sun was beginning to dip and the warmth that had been in the air was fading.

Hans' eyes turned towards the castle, where rays of dying sunlight were spilling all around it. In a faraway glimmer, he thought he saw someone standing in one of the uppermost windows and turn away as soon as he looked up. Of course he knew who it was. Even from such a distance, her form was unmistakable and it was _her_ window. There was a bit of heaviness at that realization, thinking about her alone in her room, watching others enjoy themselves.

Seemed her whole life had lent to that. The one merely watching from enclosed quarters, to afraid to come out and be with everyone. He knew that feeling, remembered hiding in his own room while he watched his brothers play from his window. He found himself watching the window, waiting for another glimpse of her slim form to pass, but it remained empty. Yes, life had changed in Arendelle and the gates were open some days. Life invaded the castle once more and Elsa left her room.

But she never left the castle. Fear still ruled her life. It wasn't like him to bother himself with such thoughts, but it also wasn't like him to play childish games or trust people. The past month he had been doing a great many things that weren't like him. Maybe it was just that he was changing, and he didn't quite recognize who he was yet. Didn't know what was like him and what was unlike him.

"I'm going inside." He said, the distracted announcement hardly phasing Kristoff and Anna who were apparently far more interested in each other than anything he had to say. It appeared that it would be best for his sanity to go inside no matter what the reason was, and he retreated quietly. It didn't take him long to reach the castle, the towers blocking his view of her window by the time he was at the entrance.

He went to his own room and changed his clothes, drying his hair as well as he could. From there, he went and knocked on Elsa's door, waiting to hear her soft voice before pushing the door open. She sat at the window, on the old window seat with her legs curled under her and her head resting against the moulding, eyes turned out. Her mouth tipped down in a weary sadness, her eyes only half-lidded as though it were too exhausting to keep them fully open.

Hans approached cautiously, coming around behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders. It was a light sort of touch, one he did without hardly thinking about or realizing what he was doing. She sighed, the first reaction at all she'd had to his presence. Other than that there was only silence, and it reigned for a time, until he stepped a little closer, moving his arms down to rest atop of hers while his forearms crossed over her waist and his chin rested on her head. She surprised him by leaning back against him, a simple gesture that made him feel as though he had the world resting in his arms.

"Some days I can't even make it outside these doors to be with my own sister." She finally spoke. There was another sigh, and he would have said something but it didn't feel as though she had finished, so he waited.

"How is it that you get along better with my family than I do?" There was no malice in the words, though even he could see the bitter irony in it.

"Hmm." He tipped his head down so his mouth rested against the crown of her head rather than his chin. Her hair tickled his nose with with every breath, the ethereal strands escaping from her tight braid.

"I don't know." He answered her, after a moment of breathing in the enticing scent of evergreens in the snow. "I don't know how anyone could get along with me, and I don't believe that your family doesn't get along with you. I believe you shut yourself away from them because you're still afraid, not at all that they don't want you around." He said softly, hoping his words wouldn't be taken too harshly. She said nothing in response and so his hands moved along hers until he could turn them over and let the backs rest in his palms.

"Stop thinking only of the bad, Elsa. You know how to control it, and there is beauty as well as danger. Everything that is good comes with some measure of risk."

* * *

She didn't understand it. How somehow, this man that had been raised in an entirely different country from her, had an entirely different upbringing, he always knew the things to say that would soothe her soul. Even now, calm washed over like a balm over a sore wound. Yet he couldn't alleviate all her fears, not the ones that loomed just under her skin, threatening her with disastrous ends. Those were the ones that tormented her no matter what he could say. She shuddered, and his arms tightened a little.

That was an odd sort of feeling, having Hans there against her. It was warm though, had her feeling small and safely tucked against him. Somehow she'd come to trust him, even to draw comfort from him. That in and of itself was disturbing, but he was one of the few people she felt comfortable touching her. At first she had told herself it was because it was Hans and she just didn't care if she hurt him. Now she had to admit that it more likely stemmed from his confidence. He never doubted whether she would hurt him, and she could steal a little of that strength to make her own fear flee, lest just for the time being, down to the depths of her soul.

"I occasionally wonder if I should abdicate the throne to Anna. Leave Arendelle in the hands of a queen that can be among the people, go and try to find a place that knows about powers like mine. Try to learn, try to rid myself of them, anything." She didn't know why she said it. She hadn't admitted her desire to run away to anyone, not ever. As far as anyone else was concerned, the events at her coronation were a singular event and their queen had no such desires left in her heart. Hans' hold tightened a little more.

"Don't." He whispered, and she felt his lips moving against her hair. Yet it seemed more a request than a command, reminiscent of him pleading with her not to send him back to the Southern Isles. She wasn't sure why, but it drew a smile to her lips and she turned a hand down to twine her fingers with his.

"I would have to take you with me, of course. Being married and all." She commented lightly, though she was more curious than she cared to admit as to what his reaction would be. There was a deep chuckle that she felt the vibrations of in her back. She felt his head shake just so slightly against hers.

"Don't tempt me." He said, voice filled with a low mirth and an oddly enticing tone. She smiled again, this one a little less stretched, and relaxed against him a little more. She had no response for that, so she let them fall into silence once more. The sun set behind the castle, but light clouds were catching the dying fiery light and spilling crimson red across the sky that reflected across the ford. It was a beyond stunning sight and she was happy to sit there and watch until the last glimmers of light faded and stars began to prick the sky.

"I'll go." Hans finally spoke, breaking the hold and leaving Elsa feeling colder than she wished as she stood and tried to inconspicuously stretch her arms. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts again, the suffocating thoughts that came in and threatened to drown in her with the darkness and solitude. Used to be that when nights like these came and she couldn't bear to be alone she would go and crawl into bed beside Anna. But now her sister was married and she didn't think that Kristoff would appreciate her presence.

Instead, in a brief moment of bravery, Elsa caught Hans' hand. "Stay." She told him, hoping he would take her invitation wrong. He looked back at her, face a mix of surprise, confusion and caution. His green eyes regarded her for a long moment and she had to wonder what he was looking for. But he nodded, eventually, and Elsa let go of his hand. She flexed hers once, behind her back, thinking that his always felt too calloused to belong to royalty. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, Elsa ducked away self-consciously and went to her bed, slipping underneath the quilt for once and lying on her side with her back towards Hans.

Moments later, the bed shifted and she heard the sound of boots falling to the floor, then the covers shifted as Hans laid down behind her. His arm slipped over her in a cautious movement and she looped her own arm over it.

"Goodnight Hans." She breathed, eyes falling shut.

"Goodnight my Queen."

* * *

She slept through the night, for the first time in years. It was even light when she woke, though just the barest glimmers of wee morning light. And she had a pleasantly warm feeling, unlike the chill that usually greeted her every morning. Elsa started to roll onto her back and that was when she realized the source of the warmth.

Hans still rested against her, his arm over her and breaths coming in even, deep takes that spoke of sleep. She managed to shift around enough that she could see him, smiling at the sight. Strands of his red hair fell into his face and there was a boyish aspect to him in his sleep. Made her wonder how anyone could be fearful of such a face, how she had ever feared such a face. He seemed young in that moment, far too young to carry what he did on his shoulders.

With a flush of her cheeks, Elsa put her thoughts in check. She never should have let him stay in her room overnight. Staying with him after his brother died had been one thing. This foolishly softened her even more towards him, and there were odd feelings fluttering about her chest as she looked at him. The strangest urge to trace his jawline or kiss his brow, things she had no intention of carrying out.

With a frown, Elsa turned and tried to break away in order to rise and get ready for the day. But his arm tightened around her, pulling her back against him.

"Not yet." He said. "Wait till it's lighter." His voice was full of sleep, breaths finally shifting to that of a person among the living. A part of her was tempted to stay right where she was, in the spot of warmth and laziness that offered her a relaxing start to the day. The other part of her was stronger though, insisting that she frown and try to tug away again.

"Hans, I must get ready for the day." She insisted. His head that was buried in her hair somehow found it's way to her neck and she felt his lips graze the skin there.

"What great event is happening today that you cannot wait another fifteen minutes for the sun to fully rise?" His voice held that old mocking tone, though now the taunt tore her between huffing at his audacity and smiling. He was still too asleep for his tone to hold any real punch to it. She settled for shifting around, moving so that she was facing him and could glare at him, hoping her look alone would convince him to release her.

The look he met her with was a half-lidded smile, hair still falling in his face. It was the most disheveled she had ever seen him and it drew a small giggle from her before she could stop it. Surely it was impossible to stay angry when faced with that.

"I always rise early." She told him sternly, hoping to recover from the girly noise that had just left her lips. He raised a single eyebrow in a taunting, sleepy look.

"Oh? You _always_ rise early? What else do you _always_ do?" He asked her, tone amused now. Elsa's lips puckered into a forced frown.

"Are you trying to stall, Prince Hans?" She accused, unable to stop the amusement that leaked into her own tone. His lower lip jutted out just so slightly as he shut his eyes and gave a weak shake of his head.

"That would be a deplorable thing to do." He cracked an eye open. "Is it working?"

It drew another rumble of laughter from the back of her throat and this one came with a smile she couldn't repress. Hans rewarded it with a smile of his own, just as sloppy and sleepy as it had been before.

"There she is." He said, slurring his words and letting his eye close again. Elsa finally relaxed and settle back into the pillows, resigning herself to more time in bed before she got up. It wasn't so bad, though it was a disconcerting feeling to lie so close to Hans and feel his hands linked behind the small of her back. He had almost instantly dropped back into the same steady breathing, making her wonder if he was already asleep once more.

"Are you asleep, Hans?" She asked him. He merely grunted at first, and his eyes didn't open when he spoke.

"Unfortunately not. There's a rather pesky queen who seems intent on robbing my morning of peace." Hans said, a smile tugging at his lips, while he still looked asleep.

"She sounds quite troublesome." Elsa agreed, letting herself give a relaxed smile of her own that rested for longer than the usual half-second. Both his eyes cracked open again, turning down to look at her.

"Maybe so, but she's very pretty in the mornings when her hair isn't so perfect." He commented, and Elsa's head ducked at that. She felt her cheeks flush. This was definitely not a comfortable train of conversation. She looked back up at him, feeling curiosity rise.

"You're a very different person when you're nearly asleep, Prince Hans." She didn't know when she had taken to calling him by his title once more, but it was slipping out of her mouth more and more lately. His eyes opened a little more, curiosity on his own face, taking over the smile that had been there.

"Would that be a good or bad different?" His voice was low enough to be a whisper, low enough to lull her back to sleep if he talked long enough.

"Good. Better." She said, wishing she could explain it better. He was still looking at her with questioning eyes, so she searched for something else to say.

"Seems as though you're more you. At least, the you that I think is real." She could only hope that didn't come out as poorly as it could have. Hans seemed pleased enough with it, though he was still giving her an odd look.

"What about me do you find more real?" He asked, blinking down at her. As though they were having a perfectly normal conversation in a perfectly normal position. Elsa opened her mouth and shut it again. She wasn't sure what to say to that. She couldn't tell him that it was his groggy smile or half-shut eyes, and she doubted that he would appreciate her telling him that he seemed more childish in his current state. She trailed a hand across his face before she could realize what she was doing and stop herself.

"I think you're better than you allow yourself to be most of the time." She told him, pleased with the way that it came out. He wasn't listening. She could tell that much as soon as she realized that his gaze was settled on her lips. A trail of chills ran up her back and while all her old instincts told her to pull away as quickly as she could, she glanced down at his lips as well. A foolish move on her part.

But he gave her plenty of time to pull away, even unlinked his hands behind her back before pulling forward. Even still, he hovered for a moment over her lips, breath feeling hot against her cold skin. It had butterflies somersaulting in her stomach. She needed to move away. Needed to start her day. Needed to do anyth-

Her thoughts were cut short when his lips pressed against hers in a slow and deliberate movement. She shivered first, feeling all the coldness of a winter storm racing through her, battling against the sudden warmth that was also rushing through her veins. But it was a brief kiss and Hans pulled away from her. His eyes stayed shut for a long moment before he nodded, opening his eyes and pushing himself up and off the bed.

"There's a way to start a day." He said, as pleasantly as if he'd just risen and been greeted with a pretty flower or sunny morning. He stretched his arms and left the room before she could form words. She turned on her back and stared at the ceiling.

 _It wasn't the worst way to start a morning._


	18. Just Slept

**A/N: Here, have some more fluff. I was really gonna wait another day, but you guys kinda talked me into posting the today. Thank you so much for your reviews and votes on my story (I'll get to that one as soon as I finish my psychic one). As for this story TWO CHAPTERS LEFT. Then the epilogue and it's over! I know I never really had an overarching plot or a big villain or problem at the end, but I wrote this for Helsa fluff. Not to come up with a ridiculously over-dramatic plot that's really just there because 'that's the way it's done'. Please excuse my ranting and enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

The whistle on Hans' lips died when he left Elsa's room and caught sight of Anna down the hallway. Her mouth dropped open when she saw him, looking from him to Elsa's door and back to him. He knew what she was thinking and he chose not to acknowledge it, settling to nod in her direction.

"Good morning Princess Anna." He told her, turning towards his own room and not waiting for a response. Unfortunately, she came rushing after him and got in his door before he could shut it in her face and trap her outside of his room. He gave up on the idea of avoiding her, letting the door fall further open and letting her follow him in. For once, she was without words, merely pointing at him and mouth opening and shutting as she apparently tried to form something to say.

"You…" She trailed off, turning and looking towards the wall that separated his and Elsa's rooms.

"Her, she-" It was plain what she was thinking and almost amusing to see her reaction to the thought. It wasn't as though her and Kristoff were as private as they ought to be about such things. The fact that she was in his room alone was enough to cause a scandal. At least it would have been in the Southern Isles, but everyone in Arendelle was apparently accustomed to her inappropriate openness.

"I _slept_ in her room, Anna." He said, deciding to finally put her out of her misery. "I do believe I would find myself skewered on an icicle should I ever try anything more forward around our queen." He pointed out with a light chuckle as he pulled out a fresh set of clothing. Of course there was the kiss to consider and the surprising fact that she hadn't skewered him for it. But he wasn't about to share that with Anna, he doubted that Elsa would appreciate it if he did. It would remain between him and her unless she should choose to share.

" _Just_ slept?" The accusing question brought Anna around in front of him, her crooked, questioning finger shoved into his face. His own hand pushed it down, fighting the smile at her interrogation.

" _Just_ slept. I would swear it upon the honor of the Southern Isles, but we have precious little of that to spare." A light, humorous tone invaded his voice and he could see Anna's eyes twitching. The pained hum of a restrained laugh came from her throat, though her face remained hard and her eyes only narrowed.

"Do you love her?" She asked, pulling back a little and apparently satisfied with his answer to her previous question. It was the second time of this conversation, she had said nothing of it since she first claimed that he was in love with Elsa. He had denied it vehemently then, the protests jumping easily to his lips. Now though, they were a little more slow in coming. He sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed as he attempted to gather his thoughts.

"I don't even know what love is." He said in a low tone. He'd seen displays of it, since he first came to Arendelle. He understood the idea of it, watched it in the small castle as though it was this tangible, touchable thing just out of his reach. He didn't know if his frozen heart could ever accept the idea of it fully, though. It went against everything he'd learned from the time he was a child, the walls he'd built up to keep his own family from hurting him. It was easier to be cold than to care and be hurt again.

Now, he didn't know if he had followed those habits to long. If his heart even had the ability to beat with warmth again. Anna wasn't phased by his negative outlook, sitting beside him on the bed and taking one of his hands.

"If I can get over a frozen heart, so can you. Besides, love isn't something to think about or try to understand. I think it's different for every person, for every relationship. You're not going to love Elsa like I love Kristoff because you're different. What matters is that you want to be with her, you think about her when she's not around and you put her needs above yours. That's sort of like the beginning of love, like a flower bud. From there it just gets better." Anna beamed up at him, obviously quite pleased with her metaphor.

He had to admit, it was fitting. He nodded a little, thinking it through. Maybe there was something there, something that had changed or shifted or was a little more than it had been before. He did seek out Elsa's company before anyone else, even if he typically acted as though it was mere coincidence. She filled up his thoughts most of the time. Would he put her needs above his? That thought drew a frown.

He was used to focusing on himself. What would get him further ahead, what would keep him kicking and keep him distant from people. He hadn't been faced with a situation of putting her needs above his own and he wasn't sure what he would do should it come about. If his old selfish ways would drive him, or if he'd take a turn for the better. He was excellent at judging character when it came to others, he just couldn't quite get a handle on his own.

"And if the time comes and I fall on my own selfish ways?" He asked, almost more to himself than to Anna. She gave a light chuckle, patting his arm.

"You already gave up a chance to steal her throne in order to protect her. I have faith that you'll make the right decision." She told him confidently. Hans smiled as well, drawing a little from her confidence and glancing down at her.

"You know Anna, underneath all the crazy you're actually quite wise." He told her, hoping she wouldn't take the compliment to her head too much. She smiled a little wider, nodding in response.

"I know. And underneath all the stupid, you're actually still quite stupid." She replied kindly, the pleasant smile still on her face.

"Oh?" His eyebrows flew up, feeling a mischievous twinkle as he stared down at her. Anna picked up on it and scooted away.

"Oh no, don't give me that look. Last time I got that, you dumped me in the fjord." She said, hands out to warn him away. Hans just grinned roguishly.

"I can arrange for another trip. Or you can take your comment back." He shrugged, thinking himself that it would be an easy decision.

"I take back nothing." Anna made a dash for the door and Hans raced after her, passing the queen as he did and barely managing to nod his head at her as he ran past.

"Good morning Your Majesty!" He shouted back, determined to not slow down. He caught up with his quarry rounding the corner to the stairwell and throwing her up over his shoulder.

"Take it back your red-headed fiend!" He shouted, shaking her up and down. She shrieked right into his eardrum, fists grabbing handfuls of the back of his coat.

"Never! For the love of chocolate, I will not retract the truth!" The protest came once again delivered directly into his ear, far more loudly than necessary. He caught sight of Kristoff, standing on the floor below them, right below the railing. He held a finger to his lips, rather than making his usual threatening remark. For the moment, Hans decided to play along.

"Then it seems we are at an impasse," He told Anna, who was positioned so she couldn't see her husband. Kristoff held his arms out, gesturing with his hands. Hans narrowed his eyes, pointing with his free hand towards Anna. Kristoff nodded. It was about a ten foot drop, which wasn't so bad with someone there to catch her. Hans slowly smiled.

"Guess I'll just have to toss you over." He told Anna, stepping up against the railing. She swatted at his back.

"No you won't, I demand you put me down! I'm the princess!" She shouted. Hans shrugged, flipping her off his shoulder and holding her against his chest, over the edge. He winked at her.

"And I'm a prince." He let go and she screamed, then let out a stream of curses that would make a sailor blush. Kristoff caught her easily, though he lost his hold almost as soon as he did from laughing so hard. Anna landed in an unceremonious heap on the floor, skirts billowing around her confused and outrage face. She looked from Kristoff to Hans, sputtering.

"You-he-you can't just do that to a person!" A chunk of hair fell in her face and she blew it out, her bottom lip sticking out in her anger. It only made him and Kristoff laugh harder, until they were both doubled over. She rose in a huff, patting her hair as though it were ever anything less than a mess, and stomped out of the room. Kristoff tried for a moment to compose himself and call after her, but he failed miserably.

"Children." It was Elsa, coming from her own bedroom and watching them, nose turned up in apparent distaste. Hans attempted to straighten up and give a proper greeting, but the moment he opened his mouth more laughter came out. He hadn't laughed so much since he was a child, and a young one at that. Elsa shook her head, hands landing primly on her hips.

"This castle is a civilised place, not a child's playground to pull foolish and dangerous pranks for a few laughs. You two are adults in body at least, you ought to be more careful." She snapped, the reprimand enough to at least help Hans catch his breath. Kristoff stood below, nodding solemnly at her words and Hans did his best to mimic the stance.

"You're quite right Queen Elsa," Kristoff said, appearing entirely regretful. "That was a very immature thing of us to do and we never should have engaged in such childish behavior. My wife seems very rattled."

Elsa nodded, looking pleased with the display of remorse. Hans figured he ought to put in something, if this was what Kristoff thought the best route was. Like it or not, the other man seemed to have a good handle on how to react to Elsa.

"Ah, yes. My apologies, Queen Elsa. Very churlish behavior." He agreed, hoping no laughter would seep into his voice.

"That's very big of you. You two both ought to find Anna and apologize for that." Elsa went on, hands linked in front of her.

"Of course," Kristoff spoke up again. "I think it's possible the queen is merely jealous." He went on, that sly look on his face again.

"What?" Elsa asked. Hans turned a quizzical look on the man as well. He shrugged at the two of them.

"Well, we play pranks on Anna and have fun with her, but Elsa is always left out. Maybe she's just upset because she wants a turn in the fun." He suggested. Hans turned slowly to look at Elsa, a smile spreading as he saw where Kristoff was going.

"You're right. Nobody should be left out of the fun." He felt a little like a parrot now, agreeing with everything Kristoff said, but he couldn't deny that it was a fun idea. Elsa's eyes widened and she took a step back, shaking her head.

"Now, that is not what I meant. I am trying to discourage suc-"

Hans caught her around the waist before she could run, picking her up just enough that only her toes could drag across the floor and pulled her towards the railing. She shoved at his arm locked around her waist, though he was pleasantly surprised at the mere cold touch of her hands and not the spread of frostbite.

" _No_!" Her shriek sounded remarkably like Anna's, also directed right into his ear. "Hans, let me go!" She ordered, twisting about in his grasp but still not summoning any ice to free herself. He took that as reason enough to oppose her, flipping her up and catching her legs under his other arm.

" _Noooo_!" This time he was sure he caught the glimmer of laughter in her tone, the slightest smile on her face as her head fell back. He grinned at the sight, holding over the railing. She gripped his shoulders and buried her face in his neck, something that only convinced him more that this had been a good idea. Kristoff stood below with his arms out, a grin on his face as well, ducking as Elsa's shoes fell from her flailing feet.

Hans let go, a little more reluctantly than he had of Anna, and snow sprinkled the air falling after Elsa as the most delightful laughter filled the air. Kristoff caught her and managed to keep his feet this time, looking down with a wide smile at the woman laughing in his arms.

Hans didn't think he had ever heard Elsa laughing before, but it was like bells and singing and every joyful thought he'd ever had. Her face fell into Kristoff's chest as if to muffle the laughter that spilled out.

"You two are terrible monsters!" He could barely make out her words through the laughter and Kristoff's shirt. It was difficult to summon up much remorse when she was obviously in no great torment. He wondered how long it had been since the last time she laughed. Even Anna had been drawn back to the room by the sound, staring in awe. From that look, he wondered if Elsa had ever laughed like that.

"Seems we have another child in our midst." Kristoff said, setting her lightly on the ground. Elsa stepped back and covered her face with her hands until she could look up in silence with a pinched look on her face. Her glare switched between Kristoff and Hans, which he didn't worry about until her hands flourished in either of their direction's, little flashes of light dancing from her fingertips. Then with a smug look, she raised her head and caught Anna's arm and dragged them both away.

Hans looked to Kristoff, who appeared as confused as him. Then the cold started. They gasped in unison and Hans felt something icy filling up his shirt. He pulled it away from his chest and looked down to snow that was welling up and spilling out of his shirt. Kristoff was apparently going through the same thing, already shedding his shirt that was full to the brim with fluffy white snow. Hans followed in suit, not caring where he was so long as he got the snow away from him. But it wasn't over.

Him and Kristoff locked eyes again, then glanced down. "I call a retreat." Hans decided, grabbing his shirt from the floor and running towards his room.

* * *

Anna clung to Elsa's arm as fits of giggles escaped both of them. Elsa couldn't remember the last time her stomach had actually hurt from laughing so much. She felt like a child again, and for the first time in forever, she managed to banish the fear that ran her life. She really hadn't meant to laugh, either. Hans and Kristoff had gotten together like a pair of schoolboys and acted childish. She by no means wished to condone their behavior.

But it had been fun to be included in the games for once. To feel like a child again. To let herself laugh again, something that she couldn't seem to stop now that she had started. It was why she had retreated so quickly, unable to stifle it for long. Her and Anna had barely made it out of earshot before both falling into giggles like a pair of schoolgirls themselves.

"What did you do to them?" Anna asked, wiping tears from her eyes. Elsa's hands went to cover her mouth, hardly able to believe what she had done.

"I filled their clothes up with snow." She admitted finally, laughter sputtering through her clasped hands. Anna snorted in her laughter, arms wrapping around her stomach.

"We should have stayed to watch! It'd be the most entertaining striptease of the century!" Anna declared.

"Anna!" Elsa reprimanded, feeling herself blush at the thought. Sometimes she couldn't believe the things that left her sister's mouth. Anna didn't appear the least bit repentant, grinning back at Elsa.

"Oh, don't look so shocked. There's nothing wrong with being attracted to the man I'm married to." Anna waved her off in a dismissive move. Elsa shook her head in response, deciding there wasn't much use in reprimanding her sister a second time. She was obviously not going to feel any remorse for any such comments, no matter how scandalous.

"You are hopeless." She said instead, a smile on her face as she shook her head at her sister. Anna beamed back at her relentlessly.

"I'm just glad you finally accepted it. Took you long enough." She teased lightly, shoving Elsa's side in a playful movement. It was strange, everything that she had tried for so long, the lightness of spirit and ability to talk to her sister easily again, it had come in a flash and of no effort of her own. It was just there and while she knew it wouldn't last, she was going to grasp at it for as long as she could.

"I think Hans being around is good for you." Anna said suddenly, her bright smile having faded to a studious look. Elsa glanced up in surprise, her previous thoughts fleeing.

"What? How?" He hadn't been the one to start the game anyway, that had been Kristoff. And Anna didn't know about his words of comfort the night before, or the nightmares he'd calmed. Even with all of that, she wasn't sure she would say that his presence had necessarily been a great help to her. Her mind was spinning in a million different directions now, trying to come up with excuses and denials, anything to change the subject. Hans was not good for her.

"You're different. More relaxed. I haven't seen you laugh like that in, well, ever. You'll deny it, but he was the one that did that." Anna's voice didn't leave much room for arguing, sounding strangely like their father when she used that tone. Elsa blinked, unsure of how to even respond to such a statement. She settled for looking down at her hands, the laughter dying in her throat.

"I saw him leaving your room this morning." Anna said after a long moment. Elsa's head snapped up, eyes widening even as she vehemently shook her head.

"We-he-it wasn't like that. We just, it was late and quiet and, then I woke up and it didn't mean, I wouldn't ever, not with Hans." She pressed her eyes shut, knowing the jumble of words falling out of her mouth was not helping. She knew it didn't sound believable either, and she wondered if Anna would be angry at the idea, even if it was so far from the truth.

"I believe you." Anna said simply, and Elsa opened her eyes again. That was far easier than she had expected. She sighed in relief.

"But you know," Anna kept on, "if anything does ever happen, or like, you think it might, you can talk to me. I'm married, so like, I know...things."

Elsa coughed, head shaking again as she felt her cheeks flame a hot red. This subject managed to make even Anna uncomfortable, though Elsa had never thought of what Anna must have done before she married Kristoff. They had no mother and Anna hadn't come to talk to her about it.

"No, no. That's not, I won't be needing that. Ever. At all." She didn't think she could describe how badly she did not want to have that talk with her sister. "What did you do, though?" She couldn't help the next question, feeling somehow like she had failed Anna. Her sister just shrugged.

"I talked to Gerda. It was horrible and awkward and I hope I never have to go through it again. Anyway, I'm just saying that if anything comes about, it would probably still be pretty horribly awkward, but I can talk to you. I mean, never say never, right?"

Elsa felt her brow furrowing. She wouldn't expect Anna to accept the idea of it so easily. She had been angry at every other turn of Elsa and Hans' relationship, yet this of all things, she was acting like it was perfectly acceptable?

"So you would be okay if Hans and I.." She trailed off again, feeling her cheeks blush fresh. It wasn't ever going to happen, she was sure of that. No matter what she felt when he kissed her. She wasn't even going to consider it. But she was curious as to what was going through Anna's head. Her sister was giving a little smile now.

"I mean, you guys are married. When it comes to love, you don't have many options, and Hans isn't quite the despicable toad he was two years ago. He makes you laugh, and that's enough for me." She shrugged again, like it was as simple as that. Elsa drew back, mind working even harder now.

"I don't think it's that simple, Anna. I-I think we should talk about something else." She told her sister, shaking her head. This felt wrong, even thinking about anything like this. Much less talking about it, with her sister. Her younger sister.

"Stop trying to change the subject. This is something important and eventually you're going to have to talk about it." Anna insisted, grabbing one of Elsa's hands. On instinct, Elsa pulled her hand away and held it close to herself.

"No, I won't. This isn't that kind of marriage, Anna." She said, voice growing more terse as she went. The humor of the moment had fled, replaced with a tenseness and almost angry tone in the air. Elsa hated herself for it, for having to ruin any good moments. But she couldn't imagine talking about her marriage ever being a good one. They tolerated each other, she was comfortable around him. But she was also comfortable leaving it at that.

"Come on Elsa, you don't have to keep shutting everything out. You can have love, you can have more than this. You don't have to settle for unhappiness." Anna stepped after her, the same hopeful look in her eyes that had been there during her coronation, when she told Elsa that it could always be like that. Anna and her perfect ideas of the world. Elsa stepped back again, away from her sister.

"I said no, Anna! It's not that easy and it's not going to happen. So stop pushing it." She snapped out the words, hating that she was yelling at Anna again. Her sister deserved better than this, but she couldn't stop the sharp tone from getting into her voice. Anna pulled away, hurt flashing in her eyes. It filled Elsa up with the same stabbing guilt, yet she couldn't say anything to rectify it. She couldn't just accept some idea of a happy ending. She had her happy ending, she had a family and that was all that she needed.

"I'm sorry Anna. It's not like that." She spun on her heel and hurried away from Anna.


	19. Patience is a Virtue

**A/N: A nice short chapter because honestly, I think I have less patience than you guys.. After this, there's only one more chapter, then a pre-epilogue then an epilogue. Don't ask. Also, KILIG guys. Look it up.**

 **A special shoutout to those who have steadfastly stuck with this story and continued encouraging me. I'm gonna make a list of those that really helped me through the whole story, and that'll be up in another chapter.**

* * *

Her pacing was so loud, Hans couldn't focus on his book. She wasn't saying anything, but he could feel her eyes on him and he didn't know what was going on in her head. She was upset about something and he had been trying to wait and give her time to say something on her own, without him pushing her. But he was reaching his limit. She wouldn't stop pacing around the library, staring at him like he couldn't feel it.

There was any number of things she could be upset about, from the kiss to the game him and Kristoff had played. But she wasn't saying anything and it had been two days of silence from her. There was a little itch in his fingertips, a nagging in the back of his mind that wouldn't allow him to rest until he found out what was going on in her pretty mind.

Another thing driving him insane. He had to fight to keep his eyes to himself. He blamed Anna for it, but Elsa filled up his thoughts more than ever. She was in his dreams, she was there when he turned, he found himself doing little things just because Elsa might like it. It felt like he was drowning, and he just didn't care. If this was love, he wasn't a fan. It felt as though he was living for the moments when she was around, yet those moments were filled up with a tense silence like the current one.

"Would you just sit down?" Hans finally snapped, his book clapping shut with his words. She gave a little start, looking over at him in surprise. He pressed his lips together, bowing his head slightly.

"Apologies, My Queen. Please, sit. Before you wear a hole in the floor or exhaust yourself." He said, a little more softly. She still said nothing, but she did nod and take a seat across from him on the divan that sat in the middle of the room. He opened his book back up and tried to concentrate on the words inside. But he could still feel her eyes on him, boring into him. He reread the same page at least four times before he looked up again and set the book to the side.

"If you stare at me any harder, you may just leave holes in the side of my face." He said, leaning against the arm of the divan and crossing his arms. Her eyes dropped to her lap and the burning sensation ceased. He watched her playing with the tips of her gloves for a moment, silence still reigning in the room. With a sigh, she looked up at him again.

"I apologize for staring. It was just something Anna said, and now I can't get it out of my head. I can go." She moved to stand, and Hans leaned forward enough to catch her hand and tug her back down. As bothersome as she was being, her absence would be far more bothersome.

"Stay." He requested simply, not releasing her hand. Rather he inched closer when she settled back down and started tugging her glove off.

"What are you doing, Hans?" Elsa asked, pulling her hand lightly. Not enough to get away from his stubborn grip, as he slid her glove off completely.

"I like your hands." He told her, fingers tracing over the smooth skin on her palm. She looked down and he pretended not to notice the pink blush on her cheeks that popped out against her pale skin. She blushed easily, and he was finding it increasingly amusing to make her do so. It didn't take much, either.

Elsa left her hand in his. "If you get frostbite, I'm not to be blamed." She said, voice turning a little more light. Hans' eyes darted up to meet hers, grinning to hear something akin to humor leave her mouth. The smile on her lips left him with a striking urge to kiss her, which he barely pushed down, turning his eyes to her hand once more. That temptation had to be ignored, at least for the time being. He was still doubtful that she could ever feel anything past tolerance for him. And he didn't know what the feelings he was facing were.

"We could annul the marriage." She said suddenly, drawing Hans' eyes back up in a flash. He tried to school his face, but he feared the intense dislike of the idea still showed as plain as day. It ran through him and settled into a led ball in the pit of his stomach, all the tentative hopes he'd allowed himself to have sinking with those words. He wanted to be married to her. It was the first time he had admitted that to himself. But the thought of not being married to her, it made him feel numb.

"Why?" He asked, voice falling flat and emotionless. He drew back, letting her hand fall and holding his hands linking in his own lap. He knew that he had regained his cold demeanor and his blank expression. Elsa twisted her hands together, the one bare hand with the one gloved hand. She looked as nervous as he felt.

"Arendelle will make it without our marriage now, without an alliance with the Southern Isles. And I admit that I didn't care much before, but you have proven yourself to be changed and as such, you should have your own chance of happiness. To find a woman that you care for and possibly marry for non-political reasons. It would be complicated, but we could make it work." She nodded stiffly, as though it was already decided.

Hans felt the nerves and tenseness flood out of him in the form of a chuckle. He relaxed again, smiling over at her. She was suggesting it for him and that in and of itself spoke volumes. She was staring at him again now, confusion creasing her perfect features.

"Hans, I'm serious. I'm trying to do a good thing here, I know that our marriage is noth-"

"Elsa." He cut her off, scooting closed and taking her hand again. She stared at him, eyes wide.

"Yes Hans?" She still looked confused, unsure of whether she should stay put or run away. He moved a little closer, hoping to keep her from doing the latter.

"I want to be married to you." His hand moved up, from her hand to slip around the back of her neck. Her eyes grew even wider, but she didn't say anything or pull away. He was fairly certain he felt her lean in the slightest bit, and that was enough for him. His other hand slipped around to her waist, tugging her closer and he felt her icy breath on his lips for a moment before he kissed her.

Once again, it was that feeling of holding a winter storm in his arms, only this time she responded. Her body reacted to his touch, leaning into him, hands twining up his neck. She tasted like the first snowflake of the winter falling, like both fire and ice at the same time and she surprised him with the desperation that she clung to him. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling the silky strands loose from the braid she always kept it in.

While their past two kisses had been brief, he wasn't so willing to let her go this time. He felt her cold rushing through him, and it made him feel more alive than he ever had before. His arm locked around her and he carefully pushed her back until she was lying out on the divan and he was over her, lips never leaving hers. She was ice and he was the lucky fool who had a moment to hold a snowflake in his grasp and pray it wouldn't melt and slip through his fingers.

"Hans." Her head tipped, pressing her forehead against his and keeping his lips from finding hers again, while her hands rested against his chest and a steady pressure kept him away. He held back a pained sigh. He'd made a mistake, and likely blown the only chance he had to ever have any sort of life with this woman.

"Yes?" He asked, even as he reluctantly drew away at the pushing of her hands. She drew in a shaky breath, copying him and sitting up once more. She went so far as to stand though, and his eyes were drawn to her hands that clasped together in front of her clearly trying to stop them from shaking. He looked back up at her face, unsure of what sort of face he ought to be wearing. He didn't feel repentant for kissing her. They were married, and until she pulled away, she had obviously enjoyed it as well. He did regret not approaching it more carefully so he didn't scare her off as he obviously did.

As it was, she was standing in front of him and struggling for words, her mouth opening and shutting until her face flamed red and she simply turned and hurried out of the room without another word. Hans sighed, his head falling back against the couch. Perfect. Just perfect.

* * *

 _Fool_. Her hands twisted up together and tugged at one another in her panic, pacing back and forth in her room. She was an absolute fool. She wasn't sure what for, she just knew that she was. Her thoughts had turned to mush after Hans kissed her. She felt tangled up and rattled, and altogether disturbed with the unmistakable urge to return to the library and tell him to ignore her earlier protests. The thought was both inappropriate and shocking. It was entirely unlike her.

Yet ever since Anna had planted the thought inside her head, she hadn't been able to free herself from it. It was absurd, of course. _Love_ Hans. Bah. She had barely forgiven him. She hardly tolerated him. Wasn't that right? She wasn't so sure anymore. There was no denying the somersaults her stomach was doing, or the way her skin still burned where he had touched her. There was no denying that she enjoyed his company, considering she spent most of her time with him. Yet it was insane.

That's what it was. Absolute insanity. To even admit to caring for the man that had once tried to kill her. Of course they had been over that there had been other factors at play, but it did not change the facts. Being married to him was one thing. Acting like she was married to him was an entirely different thing. It wasn't right. Was it?

Nothing was making sense now. She needed to get a handle on what she was feeling. Or stop feeling altogether. Life would be so much easier, without the torrent of emotions always inside of her, confusing her world. Yet, as ever was her curse, she couldn't shut off what she was feeling. It was there, and she had to deal with it. She took steady breaths and sank down on the edge of her bed. It was Hans, and he had made mistakes in the past. But so had she. In that way, they weren't so different. A mess of ragged edges and mistakes that had left them both broken.

What right did she have to still hold judgement for a past she had been forgiven for? A past she had finally begun to move beyond. She had forgiven him, but she hadn't quite let go of it yet. Not like Anna had. She didn't have time to sort through all of it just yet, though. There was a soft knock on her door, then silence.

"Elsa?" Hans' voice sounded after a long moment, sounding altogether unsure and unlike him. "Elsa, I've come to apologize." He said. She felt her nerves spike at the sound of his voice, instinctively wrapping her hands around her middle.

"You may enter." She said quietly. She pushed to her feet as the door clicked and slid open, Hans stepping inside. He looked at her with trepidation, before bowing his head.

"I must apologize. Maybe not for my actions, but for my timing. It wasn't right." He told her in a quiet tone. Elsa bit her lip, trying to form some coherent response. But he was catching her off guard again with his talk of timing, and being unapologetic for the action itself. Not that she had asked him to be apologetic for any of it. She wasn't sure what she wanted from him.

"You don't have to apologize." She said softly, stepping up a little closer. After all, he had given her every opportunity to pull away and she hadn't moved. Maybe it had been surprise that kept her there, but she somehow knew it was something besides that. He somehow managed to look even more unsure, eyes meeting hers for the first time since entering the room. Her hands twisted together, nerves balling up in the pit of her stomach.

"All my life, I have fought to conceal my emotions, or shut them out entirely. I'm not so good at acknowledging them now. I'm afraid you will have to be patient with me." She told him, albeit stiffly. It took him a moment before he nodded, slowly, a questioning grin tugging at his lips.

"I can be patient." He agreed, the unmistakable sound of hope in his voice. She smiled bashfully and looked down again, hardly registering the sound of his boots falling across the floor, stepping close to her. But she was very aware when he got close to her, finding herself suddenly aware of every painstaking detail of her dress, of his leather boots that were all she would allow herself to look at it.

She expecting him to try to kiss her again. She wasn't sure how she would react to it, and she hadn't figured it out before he slipped his arms around her and merely tugged her against his chest, resting his chin atop her head. It wasn't what she had been expecting. That in and of itself was disquieting, yet she found herself relaxing against him. Taking a deep breath and allowing her cheek to rest against his chest. After another moment, she even returned the hug, her own arms moving around him to hold on. Odd, just standing there in her own room and holding onto someone. Odd how comforting it was to touch someone that didn't fear her. To actually feel comfortable around someone.

"I can be patient." She heard Hans repeat, before she felt him pressing a kiss to the top of her head.


	20. THE VERY LAST CHAPTER

**A/N: I'm hopeless. It's either updates every few months or updates every day because patience is not a virtue I possess. Anyway, here it is. The last 'official' chapter of this fic. There will be two more tiny parts to it after this, but this is the story I had in mind. It's been a great adventure. Thank you guys for helping me stick it out. And I just want to take a minute to give a few special shoutouts to those that really stuck with me and encouraged me, everyone should go and check out their stories just because they're awesome people.**

 **usualguest**

 **nattles18**

 **A Frozen Fan**

 **secretcastle**

 **^ All people who have been here since the very beginning and faithfully checked in with nearly every chapter, keeping me encouraged and writing. You guys are awesome, thank you so much! And more recently, TheDarkUnknown and TudorRose have been keeping up, adding another Helsa shipped to out midst, which we can all be happy about. That's all for that, if anyone knows of a good tumblr Disney rp that's in search of either Hans or Elsa, let me know! That's how I keep my muse.**

* * *

" _Hans_!" Someone was shaking him. He groaned and rolled onto his side, trying to escape whatever it was and remain asleep. " _Hans_!" They were insistent, holding onto his shoulder and shaking him back and forth.

"What?" He asked in an unhappy tone, still not even opening his eyes. He didn't want to be awake yet, he was certain it was still the middle of the night, even if there was an odd amount of light on the other side of his eyelids.

"The sky's awake!" Now he was able to place the voice as Elsa, as well as the cold hands on his shoulder being hers. He tried to shrug her away and pull the pillow over his head, only cracking his eye open once to glance out the window.

"Those are the Northern Lights, Elsa. Go back to sleep." He muttered at her. That was hardly enough reason to be getting up in the middle of the night when humans were made to be fast asleep. Elsa didn't seem so convinced of that fact. She yanked his pillow away from him.

"Wake up!" She shouted in his ear insistently. Hans finally turned and opened his eyes to glare at her, head falling back against the mattress. Elsa was practically bouncing with delight, eyes flicking from him to the window on the other side of the room. Itt softened his glare a bit, so unused to seeing her acting like this. She looked back down at him and this time she didn't look away.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" The offer came so secretively, it took Hans a moment to process it.

"What?" He asked, trying to rub some of the sleep from his eyes. There had to be something he was missing. But Elsa didn't pause to explain, she just grabbed his hand and pulled until he reluctantly climbed out of the bed after her.

"Come on!" She cried in a hushed whisper, pulling him from the room and down the hall. Hans followed, still half-asleep and confused as to what was going on. Yet Elsa seemed incredibly excited, so he wasn't going to put a damper on it just yet. He let her drag him to the next hall, to a door he recognized as belonging to Kristoff and Anna. She knocked on it and there were some rustling sounds from the other side.

"I'm awake!" Came Anna's sleepy tone.

"Anna!" Elsa cried, around the time that Hans noticed she was still holding onto his hand. He gave a little smirk at that, deciding he might be alright with getting woken up in the middle of the night for this.

"I've been up all morning. Just fixing my hair." Anna kept on, while he heard and unhappy grunt from Kristoff. Elsa finally just pushed the door open and went inside, leaving Hans behind. With a slightly more dour look, he followed her. Anna was sitting straight up, her hair plastered to the side of her face and eyes still shut. Kristoff had his back to them, a pillow pulled over his head like Hans had tried earlier.

"Anna, the sky's awake!" Elsa whispered, getting close enough to shake her sister. Anna blinked once, eyes finally opening as she stared blankly at Elsa for a long moment. Then recognition seemed to light.

"The sky's awake!" She cried much louder, grabbing Elsa's hands. Hans rolled his eyes.

"It's the Northern Lights." He repeated. How could they live in Arendelle and still refer to the Northern Lights as 'the sky's awake'?

"Kristoff!" Anna shouted, hitting his side repeatedly. He made an unhappy noise, then rolled out of bed, grumbling and muttering to himself, grabbing his jacket from the floor and shrugging it on. Hans looked a little helplessly at the other man.

"It's called the Northern Lights." He said once more. Kristoff just shook his head back at him.

"It's no use. Just let them call it what they want." He said with a shrug. Hans looked from him back to Elsa, who was attempting to tame Anna's hair to some extent, pulling it back into a quick braid. Then the two grabbed hands and headed for the door without a further words, leaving a disgruntled Kristoff and a very confused Hans. Kristoff started after them and Hans trailed behind.

"What are we doing?" He asked, feeling as though he had missed something very important. Kristoff shrugged.

"The sky's awake. So they're awake." He said simply, before hurrying after the sisters. Hans stood still for a moment, staring after the three of them helplessly. Why was this so important to them? He finally gave up on trying to figure out their reasoning and followed them down through the castle until they got to the ballroom, reaching it just in time to see Elsa throwing a ball of light into the air. It hit the ceiling and spread, falling into light snow around them. Ice covered the floor, something Hans noticed as soon as he stepped inside and nearly fell.

It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen, watching ice slowly overlay the wooden trim and fine workings of the room. At least, until he looked down at Elsa, standing in the midst of all of it, ice dancing along her fingertips and hair falling loose around her shoulders. She was dazzling. Then she looked at him and smiled, and he thought _this was what people must be talking about when they say their world stood still_. Because nothing in his world was moving besides her.

Then something cold and hard hit the back of his head and the moment was ruined. Hans spun to see Anna already forming another snowball.

"Snow war!" She shouted, throwing her second missile. Hans managed to dodge that one, running towards Elsa. Kristoff got there first, grabbing her around the waist and holding on.

"The Snow Queen's on my team, you can have the spaz." He said, ducking a snowball from his wife.

"Oh, it is not nice to not pick your wife in a snow war!" Anna shouted at him. Kristoff appeared to be hiding behind Elsa, counting on her to block any snowballs while Hans was caught somewhere in the middle of it all.

"It might not be nice, but I'm more likely to win." Kristoff countered, pulling both of them behind a snowbank Elsa had created for them. Hans finally accepted his fate and slid back towards Anna, grabbing her by the arm and tugging her behind a pile of soft snow.

"What's the plan?" She asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"Okay, I'm the one that's actually planned real, military attacks before, so you need to just listen to everything I say and-"

"CHARGE!" She cut him off with the shout, tearing out of their little hiding spot and racing towards the spot Kristoff and Elsa were hiding. He watched with resignation as she was instantly met with a barrage of snow, that clearly came from an unfair advantage. She was slowly pushed back, until she crouched next to him again, grinning and brushing snow off of herself.

"Okay, so that tactic didn't work, you need to come up with something better this time." She explained, drawing a glare from Hans.

"How about you try actually listening to me this time?" He offered. She waved a dismissive hand at him.

"How about you try not being so boring this time?" She shot back, sticking her tongue out at him. He reached over and flicked her tongue, rolling his eyes.

"I can see why Kristoff didn't want you on his side." He told her dryly. She swatted his arm in indignation. "Okay, let's plan something. I think I have an idea that will work against them."

* * *

Elsa didn't know where Hans and Anna had disappeared to. She'd created an igloo of sorts around her and Kristoff, unabashed by their clear advantage. There wasn't even a specific purpose to the game, a way to win, yet she was still determined not to lose. These moments, these were the only times she allowed herself to really relax. It was her time. When the Northern Lights lit up the sky and she allowed herself to have fun and use the gift she had been given freely. She looked forward to it every time.

Beside her, Kristoff was crouched in the snow, making snowball after snowball until the had a pyramid in the center of their little ice room, enough to bombard anyone that tried to come close. Yet even with her constant checks outside, she couldn't catch a glimpse of either of their opponents, leaving them to wait and wonder. With Hans, at least, they could have teams. Before it had always been Kristoff and Anna against her, but now she had a teammate and it was an odd feeling. But a good one.

She leaned down beside Kristoff. "Do you think we ought to go out? Make the first attack?" She asked him. He snorted.

"I think you already made the first attack. And if we stay here, we only have to defend our position. We should hold out here." He reasoned. It sounded good to her, and she'd never been good at the strategic parts of this game. It was why even with her powers, she had lost half the time. As if on cue, something hit one of their walls. Elsa stuck her head out, then quickly pulled it back in as a snowball flew past and nearly got her.

"They're here!" She said, hurrying back to Kristoff's side. He stood up, gathering snowballs in his arms and nodding at her.

"Okay, you wait in here and pass me out more ammunition. They won't stand a chance." He told her, before disappearing out the small opening. Elsa started making more even as he left, shoving them out until the whole of the entrance was filled up. She heard Anna shrieking and Kristoff shouting right outside, but there was nothing from Hans. A part of her had to wonder if he had left, gone back to bed. It took a little out of the fun, to think of that.

But she didn't have time to think of that, when the wall directly behind her came caving in. She shrieked and fell with her hands up to protect herself, hearing Kristoff trying to get back through from the front. His hands were just beginning to break through, when someone else grabbed her from behind and dragged her back.

"I've got the Queen!" Hans yelled into her ear, hefting her up and throwing her over his shoulder. She beat against his back and kicked, trying to twist away from him, but couldn't slip out of his arms.

"Put me down! Put me down, I am not a sack of food to be manhandled, you cad!" She screamed at him. All she heard in reply was his laughter, as he raced across the room, only to dump her in a snowbank in an unceremonious heap. She struggled to sit up, blowing her hair out of her face to look up at a very smug Hans.

"The Princess Anna and I have won! I captured the Snow Queen!" He shouted, before leaning down and offering a hand to help her up. She shot a wall of snow at him to send him flying back, hearing a brief curse from him. He came up spitting snow and bright hair wild against the stunning white. It drew a giggle from her lips and prevented her from running again. He caught her again, grabbing her by the arms and holding her still, holding her where she couldn't direct any hits at him.

"This isn't playing fair." She told him, pouting up at him. He only grinned back down at her.

"I don't play fair, Queen Elsa." He told her smugly. She tried her best to keep and angry look on her face, but it was hard with him grinning down at her, hair falling in his face. His hands relaxed a little, tugging her closer.

"But I might be inclined to offer a pardon. If I were properly convinced." He offered, an eyebrow arching up. Elsa found herself inching closer, still struggling against the smile that tugged at her lips. Her hands found their way to the front of his shirt, twisting up in the front of it and holding on.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked, finally failing to withhold a grin. To her surprise, he took her hands and pulled them away from his shirt. He was still smiling, but he didn't seem to want anything more from her. Rather, he took a step back and ignored her look of confusion, slowly kneeling to the ground.

"Hans, what are you doing?" She asked, a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew it was something important.

"Queen Elsa," He began, looking up at her. Elsa looked down in trepidation. "I might be so inclined to release you if you would agree to be my wife." He stated simply, offering a hand to her, The snow in the air stopped falling around them, hanging still. She heard Anna make a girlish sound several feet away. But her eyes were wide, staring at him and trying to process his words.

"Hans, we're already married." She pointed out, trying to find something to do with her hands, and only finding use in smoothing down unseen wrinkles in her skirt. Hans was apparently unwilling to back down on his request.

"You spoke of having a celebration, a ball after some time had passed. It's been months Elsa. Have it now." She couldn't tell if it was a request or an order. But she found herself at a momentary loss for words. She licked her lips, eyes falling over every inch of his face, that no longer held any hint of malice or hate. He was honest, for once, with that look. She stepped forward, fingertips brushing against the side of his face.

"Okay." She finally managed, with the feeling she was agreeing to much more than just a ball. He reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling it around to leave a kiss on her fingertips. Relief broke his face into a smile, as he pushed back up to his feet.

"Good." He said.


	21. Pre-Epilogue

**A/N: Author's note will be in next chapter ~**

 _Pre-epilogue_

 _Some time later_

On any given winter day, Elsa was likely to be found in the library, feet tucked under her and leaning against Hans as he read from a book of his choice. His arm rested comfortably over her shoulders while her head laid against his chest. She could read now, after his not-so-patient tutelage and unending insistence that she be able to. Yet she seemed to preferred to listen to him read while she half-listened, half-dozed against him.

A warm fire lit the fireplace and a blanket covered the two of them, though the winter cold had never bothered his wife like it ought. It was a remarkably peaceful existence for two people that had come from such conflict and strife. Now they were content to sit together and enjoy quiet company without interruptions, taking solace in one another and escaping from the rest of the world.

He never would have expected such a life for himself. As a young man, dreams of grandeur filled his head, of ruling and making himself into something great. Now those dreams felt far away and almost laughable. He wouldn't trade a single minute of reading to his wife in the quiet library for a hundred years of ruling his own kingdom. He was truly content, a word that he had never imagined applying to him, never so much as thought of. In fact, he might have scoffed at the idea of the word, several years earlier.

Content might have meant lazy. Complacent. Now it was finding joy in what he had right in front him, not driving himself to madness because he wanted more. When he held Elsa, he held the world in his arms. He had never thought himself an overly poetic man, never considered that he could be the type to fall in love or let romantic notions slip into his head. Yet when he considered Elsa, he found himself thinking the most ridiculous, flowery things. And he wouldn't trade any of it.

"Hans?" Her voice stopped his own flow of words, and he tilted the book shut, holding his place with only his thumb. He looked down at her, seeing her head tilted up at him. Her eyebrows furrowed in the middle, that look on her face that told him she had been thinking. There was no telling what she would come up with when she had been thinking.

"Yes my queen?" He asked her, pressing a brief kiss to her forehead. Words, titles, things that he had once used to make a mockery of her now slipped off his tongue like second nature. Now rang with truth off his lips every time he spoke them. She licked her lips, eyes landing on his chest while her fingers played at the hem of the blanket.

"Do you still want to be king?" She finally asked, voice sounding small and unsure of herself. The breath left Hans' lungs in a sudden exhale. He tightened his hold around his wife, tugging her a little closer and resting his chin on the crown of her head. He needed to find exactly the right words to explain himself.

"I've always wanted to be a king." He started slowly, hand rubbing over her back when he felt her tense, just a little. "Ever since I was a child, I _knew_ I would be a good ruler. A better one than the people around me." He shifted again, loosening his hold and moving her around so he could look her in the eyes. His fingers took hold of her chin and lifted it.

"But Arendelle has the ruler it needs. It's lucky to have the queen it does. All I want to be now is your husband." He told her, leaning in to seal his words with a kiss. She must have approved of his response, because her own was like fire, despite the ice in her veins. The book fell unheeded from his fingers as all his attention turned to his wife and showing her without words exactly how he felt about her. Her hands were on his chest, reaching past his jacket, then slipping up around his neck.

His lips pulled from hers to her jaw, to the creamy skin on her neck, hands instinctively tugging her hair loose to let it fall through his fingers. He pulled her against him and returned his mouth to hers, letting icy air flood is lungs.

"I think," he muttered breathlessly between kisses, "we ought to retire for the night."


	22. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

 _~ Five Years Later ~_

Elsa took Hans' hand as they slipped down the carpeted hall, as silently as they could. The carpet muffled most of the noise, but there was an unfortunate laugh here and there, moments when she had to bury her face in his chest to quiet any noise that might leave her lips. He wrapped an arm around her and she felt his shoulders shake in silent laughter, though she knew that most of it was directed at her. He didn't completely understand her excitement still, but he was willing to put up with it and that was all she needed.

"Shhh." She said, holding a finger to her lips and hushing him. Regardless of the fact that he was being much quieter than her. He took her hand and pulled it away, shaking his head at her, and leaning down to leave a kiss on her nose.

"You are incorrigible." He whispered. She only grinned back at him, before turning and tugging him the rest of the way. It was a white door, with a few snowflakes painted onto the front. Whimsical looking as a child's door ought to be. Elsa slipped through it, Hans following close behind her. They crept to the bed, Elsa on one side and Hans on the other, until she pulled herself suddenly into it, wrapping her arms around the small blonde lying in it.

"Wake up!" She shouted loudly, laughing with delight as her daughter gave a start, eyes opening up wide while a small squeal escaped from her mouth. Then Hans came from the other side and caught them both in his arms, holding just a touch too tight for comfort.

"Rosie, sweetheart, I think there's a pest in your bed." He said, sending a pointed look to Elsa. Rosie was getting over her sleepiness and surprise at her bed being invaded, and she giggled in delight.

"No, that's mommy!" She corrected, trying to wiggle out of their arms. Hans just held a little tighter, keeping her from going anywhere.

"I know, it's a really big pest. I have to deal with her every night." He said, shooting her a teasing look. She made a face back at him, over their daughter's head. Rosie shoved at their arms and struggled, giving loud huffs of frustration as they didn't budge.

"How come you're up?" She complained, finally giving up on pushing at them, and looking up with green eyes that sparkled in curiosity. Elsa grinned and Hans finally slipped his arms away, so she could tug their daughter off her bed and lead her to the window in the corner of the room. She pointed out at the sky, where lights curled back and forth, weaving ribbons against the stars.

"Look honey," she said, "the sky's awake."

Rosie's face lit up with unspeakable joy, taking in the sight with wonder in her eyes. She pressed against the glass and stared out in awe. "It's so pretty." She said, green eyes blinking slowly. Elsa felt Hans coming up behind her, slipping one arm over her shoulders while his other went to rest on Rosie's back.

"They're call the Northern Lights." He corrected, only a slight teasing tone in his voice.

"The sky's awake." Rosie breathed, pressing a hand against the glass and causing Hans to sigh in defeat.

Elsa started to tug her daughter away from the window, grabbing Hans' hand as well and heading for the door. "Come on." She insisted, determined that the night not be over yet. She didn't other to wake Anna or Kristoff, knowing that they were still lucky to get any sleep they did, their own child much younger than Rosie. It was just the three of them that stole not-so-silently down to the ballroom, the doors falling shut with a great thud behind them. Elsa led Rosie to the center of the room, then knelt in front of her, taking her hands.

"Okay Rosie. Do the magic."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm putting the author's note at the end of this, because it's officially the end. Wow, guys. I honestly wasn't sure if I would make it to the end of this fic, but I owe it all to you. I decided to post both of my epilogue things together, because they're really short and both 'ends'. I want to say real quick that your responses to my last chapter meant the world to me. I was worried that I didn't feel it fit to force in some over-dramatic plot in this story, but I'm glad to hear ya'll thought it was good the way it was. Maybe in some future stories I'll do that, but this one was just about Hans and Elsa being married.**

 **Now, I want to apologize for the lack of effort put into a lot of this. I'm not like a lot of people on this site. I have** ** _my_** **writing that I work crazy hard on and comb over for errors and rewrite twenty times. I didn't do that with this story. I don't do that with my fanfiction. This is my 'relaxing' writing, and I don't want to make it into a chore. I am sorry if my grammar mistakes or spelling errors bothered anyone, but it's probably going to be about the same in future fanfics.**

 **I do intend to post more stories. I don't know when my next one will be, because I really prefer to finish it before I start posting, so I don't leave you hanging like I did with this one. I do have several one-shots and first chapters that I'll be posting in a collection pretty soon, and I really hope to see a lot of you there. I have stupid amounts of Helsa ideas, and even a few for a couple different pairings...might even dive into the world of Hanna and Kristelsa for one fic, but we'll see what happens.**

 **This is Tabbygal signing out.**


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